Mind Controllers

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Spoilers for It Takes Two

Trigger Warnings: Divorce

Today we dive deep into It Takes Two, the award winning game of the year from 2021 that features the most extensive cooperative gameplay of any game we’ve seen. We chat about the foundations of Couples Therapy, what makes a strong relationship, and how the game  pivots our main characters, who are on the brink of divorce, into something more healthy. Come hang out with us as we talk about what makes this game so special from both a gameplay and therapeutic standpoint!

Timestamps:

• Introduction - 00:09
• Our Experience - 00:37
• Spoiler Warning - 02:44
• Description - 03:26
• The Sound Relationship House Theory - 06:01
• The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - 20:56
• Couple Dynamic - 28:43
• Game Mechanics as Metaphors - 43:10
• Wrapping Up - 58:24

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers 

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Night in Kyoto by AVBE:

https://uppbeat.io/t/avbe/night-in-kyoto

License code: OY9ADKUOX62ZMAXY

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

• Same-sex couple relationship strengths: A review and synthesis of the empirical literature (2000–2016).
• What type of communication during conflict is beneficial for intimate relationships?
• The Gottman Institute

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Craw and Joe reunite to talk about Street Fighter League and this past weekend’s latest Fatal Fury beta. We then touch on Joe’s time with Pirate Yakuza, Craw’s debate over getting monster hunter, and speculate what occurred in the latest Pokemon Presents! We also touch on the (unfortunate) latest studio closures. We finish it up with an article on Problematic Video Game Use. So come hang out with us as we dive into games this week!

Games we talked about this week: Fatal Fury, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza, Monster Hunter Wilds, Avowed

Article of the Week: Metacognition, Desire Thinking and Craving in Problematic Video Game Use

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Craw, Joe, and Courture have come together to have a more focused discussion on Monster Hunter Wilds! We chat about our history with the franchise, what defines Monster Hunter, our likes and dislikes of the game, and what to expect from Wilds! Then we chat a bit about the other games we’ve been playing and the news from this week!

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Avowed, Elden Ring Nightreign

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spoilers for Thank Goodness You’re Here

Craw has been having a crazy time with Thank Goodness You’re Here, a silly game filled with British humor that feels more like watching a cartoon than playing a video game (not a bad thing)! Joe is back on his favorite genre with Romancing Saga Minstrel Song, and spending some time with Street Fighter. And we both played a decent amount of Monster Hunter Wilds Beta this past weekend. We also spoke a bit about the superbowl, and speculate what’s coming with the State of Play (which has now happened by the time of this recording)!

Games we talked about this week: Thank Goodness You’re Here, Romancing Saga Minstrel Song, Monster Hunter Wilds

Article of the Week: A Meta-Analysis on the Longitudinal, Age-Dependent Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggression

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spoilers for Metaphor Refantazio

Trigger Warnings: Racism

Today, we talk about the world of Metaphor Refantazio and how it creates and manipulates anxiety as a key part of its story. We then apply Affect Control Theory to our favorite antagonist, Louis, and how that shapes our view of him throughout the game.

Timestamps:

• Introduction - 00:09
• Description - 01:10
• Experience with the Game - 03:48
• Spoiler Warning and Fictional Disclaimer - 06:30
• The World - 08:08
• Anxiety - 17:38
• The Power of Fantasy - 29:39
• Game’s Parting Message - 36:45
• Villains, Victims, and Heroes - 39:46
• Affect Control Theory - 49:15
• Wrap Up and Thank You - 01:03:00

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Instagram and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers 

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Night in Kyoto by AVBE:

https://uppbeat.io/t/avbe/night-in-kyoto

License code: OY9ADKUOX62ZMAXY

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

• Hieronymus Bosch Painting Wiki
• Metaphor Fandom Wiki
• Villains, Victims, and Heroes in Character Theory and Affect Control Theory (Bergstrand & Jasper 2018)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spoilers for Bleach and Alan Wake 2

It’s Joe and Craw, talking about the games they’ve played this week! Joe tells us about his latest obsession, Bleach, and Mega64’s The Room. Craw discusses a new metroidvania, his time with Ninja Gaiden Black 2, and a bit about Eternal Strands. Then we chatted about the recent gaming news. Come hang out with us!

Games we talked about this week: Zenless Zone Zero, Final Fantasy Pixel Collection, Alan Wake 2, Silent Hill 2, Blade Chimera, Eternal Strands, Ninja Gaiden Black 2, 

Article of the Week: Cozy Games for Mood Repair, Stress Reduction, and Well-Being

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR METAPHOR REFANTAZIO

Joe and Craw teamed up to talk all about Metaphor ReFantazio, how much we loved it, and the impact some of the characters had on us.

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get access to our discord!

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the first Scatterbrained of the year! And we have the whole squad on. We sat down and chatted a lot about Marvel Rivals, and some other games that came out last year that we are still getting through, in addition to some initial thoughts on Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Couture also schools us on Squirrel Girl Lore. Come hang out with us during our first Scatterbrained of the year!

Games we talked about this week: Void Crew, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, Marvel Rivals, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Romancing Saga 2, Stalker 2, For The King 2, Silent Hill 2 Remake, 

Article of the Week: Video Games for Well-Being: A Systematic Review on the Application of Computer Games for Cognitive and Emotional Training in the Adult Population

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get a thank you sticker!

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We had a full house for this episode as the crew welcomed Memo to take part in the Fantasy Critics Draft. We all took turns choosing games we believe would rate well, made a few enemies along the way, and came out of it better people! Come listen to us as we try to build the best roster of video games coming out this year!

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to follow us on socials like Youtube, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and Twitch. 

Don’t forget to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast listening app!

Support our Patreon at patreon.com/MindControllers and get access to the Mind Controllers Discord server!

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.