Four hundred episodes. Trevor started this show with one infant and now has an 11 and a 9 year old; Jeff is staring down two teenagers. We open with a poem for everyone who got us here, look back at the consoles that came and went along the way (RIP PSVR, no regrets), and announce the winner of our 400th-episode giveaway: congratulations to gaming dad Shaun, who takes home GTA 6 Ultimate Edition. Thank you to everyone who entered, subscribed, rated and reached out. We wish we could give away more.

Then, on episode 400, Trevor finally enters the PS5 race. His 9-year-old spent a year saving chore money and gift cash, dad offered to go halfsies on a $450 used console, and then the $400 PS5 simply stopped existing. Two price hikes and a GTA 6 hype cycle later, he got in at $650 with three controllers and two games, which raises the real question: when the price jumps after the deal, do you teach your kid about the economy or keep dad's word? Plus the one controller nobody in the house is allowed to touch, why you should open and install a console before you gift it (32 GB of Fortnite and an Epic login stood between a kid and his first play session), the disc that still needed a 60 GB download, and Jeff's family-setup tips: mount it horizontal, beware rest mode, and what PS Plus does and doesn't unlock.

And Jeff has found his Tenchu fix. Instead of emulating the old ninja game, he went into Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and after hundreds of deaths he makes the case that it is the most sessionable FromSoft game for a dad: two lives, forgiving checkpoints, hop in, get kicked around, go to bed. Trevor, fresh off his Elden Ring summer, is tempted. Pumpkin beer season is coming in October, and cheers to 400 more.

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We are officially on the road to Episode 400, and we are celebrating with our biggest giveaway yet: GTA 6 Ultimate Edition! Listen in for the secret word and full instructions on how to enter before September 15th.

This week, we're diving into the newly announced Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and discussing whether the nostalgia hits the same for our kids as it does for us. Trevor shares an unexpected co-op bonding experience playing the retro point-and-click horror game Night Manor (from UFO 50), and Jeff explains how a private Minecraft server magically bridged the age gap between his teenagers. Finally, 13 years late to the party, Trevor tries out GTA V and discovers it might just be the perfect bite-sized game for dads with limited time.

How to Enter the GTA 6 Giveaway:

Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app and take a screenshot.

Rate the show or leave a comment on our socials and take a screenshot.

Head to newdadgaming.com/GTA6 (or click the 400th Episode banner).

Enter your screenshots and the secret word: RADIO. (Must be 18+ and a resident of North America. Contest ends Sept 15 at midnight).

Episode Chapters:

**** Pre-Show: Trevor's Twitch streaming struggles

**** The GTA 6 Ultimate Edition Giveaway Details!

**** Intro: Are the kids actually asleep?

**** Reacting to the Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

**** UFO 50 & bonding over point-and-click puzzle games

**** How Minecraft brought Jeff's teenagers together

**** Trevor finally plays GTA V (and why it's great for dads)

**** Final giveaway reminders and outro

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Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

This week on New Dad Gaming, we dive into the murky waters of gifting a 9-year-old. Discover the genius "dumb phone" mall scavenger hunt hack, and the moral dilemma of going half-sies on a new PlayStation 5 with your kid.

Then, Jeff pitches an idea for his newly 16-year-old driver: can Gran Turismo (and maybe a PSVR 2) serve as a legitimate virtual driving school? We debate the physics of Gran Turismo versus the surprisingly realistic traffic laws of GTA V.

Plus, we have all the details on our massive Episode 400 giveaway! Listen in for the secret word and find out how to win the Ultimate Edition of GTA 6.

Links:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

Announcing our GTA 6 Giveaway to celebrate our upcoming 400th episode!

To enter, you'll need to have a photo proof that you follow the podcast and that you've left a comment or rating.

Simply enter your info here: https://www.newdadgaming.com/gta6

Besides the giveaway, we discuss the recent GTA 6 leaks, some Assassin's Creed Black Flag on Switch, when your kids become free Door Dash, and trying to bend some rules again.

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

Physical media is officially on the clock: PlayStation has announced it will stop supporting discs (January 2028), and we have thoughts. Paying extra for a disc drive that's about to be a paperweight, digital games that never got cheaper, movie libraries deleted overnight, the used market vanishing — we break down what a disc-free future means for gaming dads, whether Xbox follows suit, and why Nintendo cartridges might end up the last physical format our kids can inherit.

Meanwhile, Jeff's first-ever playthrough of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time levels up — off the phone and onto a proper (borrowed-from-the-kids) 3DS, after an hour-long road trip with his teenager to snag a used copy that felt like lining up for a midnight launch. Motion-control archery, a time-travel puzzle at the bottom of a well, and a genuinely terrifying Ganondorf.

And fresh off six months in Colombia, Trevor has a parenting confession: what do you tell your kids after they watch you play "nope, only English" with a police officer at a traffic checkpoint? A very dad conversation about shades of truth, bending rules the smart way, and why granola bar thieves should learn to hide the wrappers. Plus kids "failing successfully" with Canada's famous bagged milk — and we're closing in on Episode 400!

Subscribe to the Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

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Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

We are officially entering our 11th year, making New Dad Gaming the longest-running fatherhood gaming podcast on the internet! To celebrate, we’re skipping the usual intro poem and taking a deep dive into the current "State of Dad Gaming."

How do your gaming habits change when your kids shift from watching you play Mario Party to setting up their own Steam LAN parties? We discuss avoiding FOMO, relying on the Steam Deck and retro handhelds to squeeze in 20-minute sessions, and the battle of trying to stay awake past 9:30 PM to play AAA titles on a big screen. Finally, we set a public goal: The Expedition 33 Challenge.

Thank you to all the gaming dads who have shared this journey with us for over a decade. Here is to the next 10 years!

Subscribe to the Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

The internet is on fire over the official pricing for the new Steam Machine, and we have thoughts. Is the $1,500+ price tag a symptom of the hardware apocalypse, or a massive misstep by Valve? We break down the specs, compare the costs to building a PC, and predict where the console market is headed.

Plus, Jeff attempts to validate his "gamer" status by playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the very first time (and discovers it's actually terrifying), while Trevor returns to Fortnite on mobile with a bizarre third-party controller—and secures a Victory Royale.

Subscribe to the Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

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Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

Nintendo just did the unthinkable: a full remake of Ocarina of Time - the game so many call "perfect" - and it's coming exclusively to the Switch 2. Trevor and Jeff unpack the announcement, the Final Fantasy VII "permission slip" theory behind it, and whether one game is really enough to make a busy dad drop $800 on a new console.

Plus: the strange new milestone of your kid going EASY on you (a "victory through loss" at FIFA), a charming $5 indie hide-and-seek game called Mecca Chameleon that's perfect for gaming with your kids, and why Zelda: Link's Awakening somehow hits harder on a retro handheld than on the Switch remake.

This week's episode opens with a poem - "Paper Flowers" by Jessica Jocelyn - on the fear, and the magic, of having kids.

New Dad Gaming is the longest-running podcast for dads who love games and fatherhood. Hosted by Trevor Alexander and Jeff Smalley since 2015. Just because you became a dad doesn't mean it's game over.

⏱️  Chapters

00:00 - Welcome + Poem: "Paper Flowers" by Jessica Jocelyn

01:18 - Listener mail & where's Summer of Beer? (greetings from Colombia)

02:46 - Nintendo remakes Ocarina of Time for Switch 2

10:51 - The $800 Ocarina machine: is it worth buying a Switch 2?

16:31 - When your kid goes easy on you: "victory through loss" at FIFA

21:56 - New game pick: Mecca Chameleon, the $5 paint-and-seek indie

28:31 - Retro pick: why Zelda: Link's Awakening hits harder on a handheld

34:17 - Wrap-up & sign-off

📧 Got a story, question, or beer pick? Reach us at newdadgaming.com

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Clear the dust off if you have an iPod,

Who knew that a Steam Deck was an asset to invest,

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Just because you became a dad, doesn't mean it's game over.

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