Maximum Utcast

We've been at it a year and somehow it feels like we've only just begun! On this special episode of the Maximum Utcast, we learn about Friendslop, meatslop, and maybe some non-stoppable rhythm? John-Charles Holmes of Nintendo Force and The Yetee stops by to talk about the history of the Rhythm Heaven series and how the new game, Rhythm Heaven Groove fits in (you can watch that as a video here: https://youtu.be/vkQV5hTBcv0 ). Elsewhere, Jonathan wonders if the kids these days will be alright as he goes on a multi-store adventure looking for Splatoon Raiders. And we talk a lot about Taco Bell.

0:00:00 - Dystopia at the Taco Bell

0:09:55 - Celebrating One Year of Maximum Utcast

0:16:42 - What is Friendslop?

0:24:32 - How Rhythm Heaven Got Its Groove Back with John-Charles Holmes

1:06:18 - Rhythm Heaven and the Flow State

1:12:27 - Jonathan's Quest to Acquire Splatoon Raiders

1:18:00 - Exploring Insecurities and Singing Sitcom Themes

1:24:30 - Get These Games While You Can

1:27:32 - No Other Show Like This...?

1:28:56 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

1:36:21 - Food is Poop Now

1:38:14 - Is Being a Dad Cool?

Subscribe to the print magazine Nintendo Force with content from both Jon(athan)s Holmes: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/

Get some t-shirts for your bod over at https://theyetee.com/

Download Rhythm Zinegoku here: https://sonic9jct.gumroad.com/l/tUMgr

Read the written website of this show: https://maxutmost.com/

Follow John-Charles Holmes on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sonic9jct.jctholmes.com

Follow Jonathan Holmes 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

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

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

Ryan guides us through his experience with getting Pokemon Fire Red on the Switch before explaining a bit about what's going on with Rhythm Heaven Groove and the latest update to Minecraft. Later Jonathan hypes up a Mina the Hollower exclusive and tells a story about when Ryan was a baby. All of this while an existential elephant lurks in the shadows!

0:00:00 - Nihilism Feast

0:01:32 - Welcome to Another Thingy

0:02:50 - Save Scumming to Relieve the Pressure of Pokemon Fire Red

0:07:48 - The Many Concepts of Rhythm Heaven

0:10:05 - I Just Remembered There's a New Minecraft Update

0:12:29 - The Great Cute Debate

0:14:55 - A Strong Memory for Pokemon

0:17:35 - A Mina the Hollower Exclusive

0:20:17 - What's Artdink and Who's Mr. Domino?

0:23:01 - Interesting Choices in Mina the Hollower

0:24:48 - Devil May Cry 5, the Laugh Riot of the Summer

0:28:54 - Addressing the Existential Elephant in the Room

Follow Jonathan on Bluesky
Follow the Show on Bluesky
Read Jonathan’s articles in Nintendo Force Magazine: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/

On today's Utcast, we discover the bulge that's blocking men in 2026 before releasing the green slime origin on everybody. Later Zoey talks to the newest Maximum Utmost writer and furry expert Zalno about the complicated relationships that the StarFox fan community has with the series (watch the interview as a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=602h0jOBCd8 ). Along the way, we reminisce about the N64, learn about Rhythm Heaven Groove, and uncover the mysteries at the heart of Sony's ceasing disc manufacturing. All this and a squad of rods.

0:00:00 - Bring Back Rod

0:10:23 - The Green Slime Origin

0:16:25 - Cramming So Many Rods into the Maximum Utcast Comic

0:19:35 - Steve Rogers' Package in Marvel Rivals

0:20:57 - Gay as a Service Suppressed on Steam

0:23:16 - Majora's Mask is a Chulip-like

0:25:51 - Rhythm Heaven Groove's Sneezy Moon

0:29:55 - Complicated Relationships w/ the StarFox Series in the Fan Community (w/ Zalno)

1:15:21 - The Golden Days of N64 Cheats

1:18:15 - RIP to Sony Discs

1:21:22 - Should We Even Have Endless Sequels?

1:23:55 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

1:36:03 - We Need to Talk Rod

Zalno's Website: https://zalno.net/

Zalno on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/zalno.net

Zalno's articles on Maximum Utmost: https://maxutmost.com/author/zalno/

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

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

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

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

Backyard Baseball on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3935020/Backyard_Baseball/

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

TTRPG Actual Play "Duel Bastards": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2jzuu6C8Aw&list=PLgF9JoRNz05JJ37z3gppDp7pjc7vID2dz&index=7

Daniel & Friends talking about the film Exit 8: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5YQVKCrCaBq1AtqQdBwHra?si=c636c26a4e3b4c06

Maximum Utmost: https://maxutmost.com/

I headed to a sleepy coastal town on Lake Michigan to hang out with some of the crew from the Fix Your Heart or Die podcast and along the way we figured we might as well get some content on the books. For the first time ever, 2 guests in-studio gathered together to talk Mina the Hollower and StarFox '26 (along with some guesses regarding the future release of Ocarina of Time '26). The mostly free form chat is a sort of "warts and all" podcast with a few disruptions from Waldo the cat, and plenty of technical glitches you only get from recording locally, but it was cool to get face to face on the topic of video games. After this chat, I got the chance to play StarFox '26 and my thoughts are "this sure is StarFox 64 with a coat of paint!" But for more in depth analysis, you'll have to listen to this episode.

0:00:00 - Welcome Back to the Show, Shy Fox and Marcy

0:05:40 - What Are You Playing? Mina the Hollower

0:39:11 - What Are You Playing? StarFox '26

1:04:10 - Top 3 - David Lynch Movies

1:07:09 - Wrap Up/Plugs

Fix Your Heart or Die podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5stt5kNgqOKhlPs4jh7UoU?si=d4b2b09d20b24bbe

Rapid Moon Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gTF4zYZKBIOZ2iAtpOr0z

Follow FYHOD on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fixyourheartpod.bsky.social

Follow Marcy's music page on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/oshinai.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

Daniel’s music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4L6eQUJ07JMsKBnQ5btGAj?si=c624s1Q0Qv6HSQYmbdBxEw

Take a walk on the wild side with the Maximum Utcast as we tour through the menagerie of exotic beasts. We talk mildly about GTA6 and wildly about Red Dead Redemption 2's horse ball physics before opening the floor to a great debate about the N64 vs. the PS1. Later, the state of the Atari Lynx is discussed and we go deep on Mega Man. Sarah Carapace visits the show to discuss some of the identity crisis facing the Double Dragon series, while focusing on the game Double Dragon Advance (read more about that at the link below). Sweary 65 gets invoked and then we try to find the connections between Chibi Robo, Toy Story, and Small Soldiers.

0:00:00 - Kittens Always Drink Plenty of Klim

0:07:51 - A New Horror Maven for Our Time

0:11:48 - Shrinking Horse Balls (Again)

0:16:28 - The Friction of the N64 vs. the Subterfuge of the PS1

0:23:08 - The Challenges Facing the Atari Lynx

0:29:10 - How Jonathan Single-Handedly Saved the Ruby-Spears Mega Man

0:30:50 - Was the Past Better Than Now?

0:34:50 - What Was Going On with the DOS Version of Mega Man 3?

0:36:44 - Advancing Through the History of Double Dragon with Sarah Carapace

1:12:15 - Sweary's Really Been Around the Block

1:18:01 - Is Chibi Robo a Good Toy Story?

1:22:43 - Small Soldiers and Toy Story Might Be Similar

1:24:01 - Jonathan's Supergirl Review

1:24:37 - This is a Small Soldiers Cast Now

1:26:52 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

1:37:59 - Balls Shrinking

1:39:32 - I Don't Know If You've Ever Done Any DJing

Read more about Double Dragon Advance here: https://doubledragon.kontek.net/features/ddacommentary.html

Follow Sarah Carapace: https://bsky.app/profile/sarahcarapace.bsky.social

Jonathan's Paltro Shirt: https://www.bonfire.com/play-your-cards-right-2/

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

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

The podcast’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

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

Written articles at: https://maxutmost.com/

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

Support the show’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ttwav

On this episode which was recorded on Father's Day, Jonathan and Ryan switch places (sorta). They get to the videogame chat eventually after talking about how the Amazing Digital Circus is kind of like a videogame. Ryan is convinced he needs to spoil the Amazing Digital Circus and Jonathan is not convinced the things Ryan says are spoilers, but if you haven't seen the show yet, you may want to watch it before hearing what Ryan has to say. Later the pair are joined by Jonathan's other son Charles to talk about Mina the Hollower and along the way, we stop over in Star Fox and Minecraft Dungeons 2 country. Rounding things out, Jonathan gives us his personal predictions for Avengers: Doomsday.

0:00:00 - You're The Little Guy

0:01:10 - The True Way to Be a Prankster

0:03:31 - Ryan Dad, Jonathan Boy

0:04:43 - Amazing Digital Circus is Kind of a Videogame?

0:06:18 - A New Brand of Nerd

0:07:49 - You Do Realize You're Explaining Digital Circus

0:09:58 - Beatbox Battle: Dork vs. Cool Guy

0:10:52 - Spoilers for the Amazing Digital Circus...Sorta

0:13:33 - End Spoilers for the Amazing Digital Circus

0:14:17 - Mina the Hollower Had Some Emotions

0:14:35 - Different Topic: Star Fox

0:16:04 - Why Do They Do Remakes if the Differences Are So Small?

0:16:44 - Can We Talk About Mina? (feat. Charles)

0:20:10 - Talking to My Boys About Power

0:21:45 - Minecraft Dungeons 2 Report

0:25:04 - Miles vs. Charles

0:25:58 - What is Your Game of the Half-Year?

0:28:36 - You Got a Friend in Me

0:30:31 - Jonathan's Predictions for Avengers: Doomsday

0:33:56 - Wrap Up/Plugs

Follow Jonathan on Bluesky
Follow the Show on Bluesky
Read Jonathan’s articles in Nintendo Force Magazine: https://www.nintendoforcemagazine.com/

In this special bonus experimental episode we're trying out posting our video content directly to the podcast feed. Maybe it'll mess it all up! But you can watch the interview segment from today's podcast here, or check it out on our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/NEq9dH9hflw

Description from YouTube:

Shawn Alexander Allen stops by to talk about the launch of his new game set in the universe of Treachery in Beatdown City, Beatdown City Survivors and how the game's zombie outbreak was informed by global events.Shawn Alexander Allen on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shawndoublea.bsky.socialTreachery in Beatdown City: https://beatdowncity.com/Beat Down City Survivors: https://beatdowncity.com/Jonathan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tronknotts.bsky.socialVisit https://maxutmost.com/ to read videogame news, reviews, opinions, and more.

Somedays you just can't get rid of a gentleman, but today, we just might get rid of their shirts. After Jonathan outlines another plan for after being elected President of the United States of America, we spend a moment talking about James Bond in both movie and video game form, focusing on the GameCube era game "Everything or Nothing" starring Willem Dafoe (for real). Later, Jonathan talks with game developer Shawn Alexander Allen (Nu Challenger, Treachery in Beatdown City) about his new spin off game "Beatdown City Survivors" and where it fits into today's political climate (you can also watch the interview here: https://youtu.be/NEq9dH9hflw . Rounding out the show, Jonathan gives his thoughts on a very videogame-y movie, "I Love Boosters" from Boots Riley and we get a last minute Mina the Hollower update to learn...is it a Souls-like or not?

0:00:00 - Make America Gay Again

0:07:05 - A Couple of Characters

0:09:35 - Can We Ever Like James Bond?

0:28:16 - Surviving and Thriving in Beatdown City Survivors with Shawn Alexander Allen

1:29:54 - "I Love Boosters" is Sort of a Videogame Movie

1:37:42 - "Mina the Hollower" is NOT a Souls-like! Or is it?

1:48:20 - The Greatest Trick Ken Levin Ever Pulled

1:51:02 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

2:01:24 - Guys Dancin'

Shawn Alexander Allen on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shawndoublea.bsky.social

Treachery in Beatdown City: https://beatdowncity.com/

Beat Down City Survivors: https://beatdowncity.com/

Jonathan's Paltro Shirt: https://www.bonfire.com/play-your-cards-right-2/

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

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

The podcast’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

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

Written articles at: https://maxutmost.com/

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

Support the show's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ttwav

Aysha Farah (writer of Life is Strange, Pathologic, Hiveswap and so much more) and podcaster with Workers' Lit and All My Maidens stopped by to talk about exactly how deep down the rabbit hole she's gone with Baldur's Gate 3. From her first run to her recent completion (?) of the For Honor Mode, we get into a game that both she and Daniel love and how it could be improved because not everything is perfect. This one is for the real Baldur's Gate 3 sickos. Also as a warning, the episode does contain a few narrative spoilers for some of the main quests in Baldur's Gate 3.

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

0:12:02 - What Are You Playing? Baldur's Gate 3

0:40:28 - Top 3 Novels You'd Recommend

0:43:13 - Wrap Up/Plugs

Workers' Lit Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KincvQBKgIbwmhE7gwh6b?si=f7e0895aeb9e4a2f

Amplitudes Anthology: https://bookshop.org/p/books/amplitudes-stories-of-queer-and-trans-futurity-lee-mandelo/c31ba4250da6fea4?ean=9781645660866&next=thttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770919/amplitudes-by-lee-mandelo/

Aysha Farah on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ayshaufarah.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

Daniel’s music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4L6eQUJ07JMsKBnQ5btGAj?si=c624s1Q0Qv6HSQYmbdBxEw

Crab Meat is a Tasty Treat

What is the most iconic sound of summer? And what sort of Crab Meat do you want to eat? We know you come to Maximum Utcast for only the most serious discussions, so we address those topics and more head on. Jonathan pitches some article ideas for hot Mina the Hollower content. Meanwhile, Zoey checks in with Smashing Drive, a kusoge about driving a cab in New York and then Jonathan talks to Nicholas McDonnell of Searching Interactive about his new game Crab Meat. You can also watch the video of the interview portion of the show here: https://youtu.be/30xkNkWLrAo

0:00:00 - The Sounds of Summer

0:09:30 - A Serious Issue

0:11:22 - Kusoge: Smashing Drive

0:30:55 - Shoveling Shit into the Stumble Upon Economy

0:33:04 - Mina the Hollower Pitches for Maximum Utmost

0:40:56 - Step Right Up and Meat the Crabs with Nicholas McDonnell

1:17:27 - Zoey Loves Crab Meat

1:22:23 - Wrap Up/Plugs/Thanks Patrons!

1:32:10 - Point Me Up The Ass

Nicholas McDonnell on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nicholasmc1.bsky.social

Searching Interactive website: https://www.searchinginteractive.com/

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

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

The podcast’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ttwav.bsky.social

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

Written articles at: https://maxutmost.com/

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

Support the show's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ttwav