No one ever said the future would be easy. But I think we all saw the glimmer of a dream, somewhere in the sky that night. The tiniest spark of hope that we can change our fate. Who could say? That moment has come and gone.

This week, Rick is joined by Chris (Retro Hangover Podcast) and Jon to focus on one of the black sheep of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XIII. The game certainly has a reputation - but is it earned? In the episode, we go over the presentation, the fantastic score (NOT by Uematsu!), the controversial datalog, and the troubled development. Is XIII worth a reexamination? You'll have to tune in to find out - do it up!

Post mortem on FF XIII in GameDev magazine
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You ever rage quit over a strawberry?

This week, Rick is joined by friends of the show Matt ("Fun" and Games) and Josh (Still Loading) to dive into Celeste, a beloved indie game that burst onto the scene in 2018. Celeste is a beautiful mix of narrative and gameplay, marrying a story surrounding the human condition with some of the most engaging (and difficult!) platforming the three of us have seen in a long time. In the episode, we talk all about the impetus behind the creation of the game, the game's thematic identity, the soundtrack, and so much more. I'm proud of this one - do it up!

Maddy's article: Celeste and Forgiveness
Maddy's article: Is Madeline Canonically Trans?

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Mario? In my JRPG? It's more likely than you think.

This week, Rick is joined by Matt "Stormageddon" Storm ("Fun" and Games, Screen Snark, and more) to talk over Mario's first jaunt into JRPG japes: Super Mario RPG! Whether you grew up with the SNES version or are a newcomer with the (terrific!) Switch remake, this episode will be for you. We talk about the beginnings of this Square and Nintendo collaboration, the "Saturday Morning Cartoon" feel, version differences, and more. With a killer OST by the one and only Yoko Shimomura, you won't want to miss this - do it up!

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More 0-2 Heroes

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Quick note: I reversed the instrumentation when describing the initial observatory theme. I didn't realize until it was too late. Sorry!

This week, Rick is joined by friend of the show Ryan (List Off Podcast) to talk all about the Wii smash hit, Super Mario Galaxy! Endlessly creative, this game was seen as the true successor to Super Mario 64 and kicked off a new era of creativity in the mainline Mario games. Join us as we talk about the dev history, how the mechanics compare to previous/future titles, the phenomenal score, and more. Genuinely had a great time - do it up!

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Mario? In my pocket? It's more likely than you think.

This week, Rick is joined by Andre (Fine Time podcast) to talk all things Super Mario Land - that's right, all three! These were Mario's first forays into big time handheld gaming. Now that we're in 2024, how do they hold up? Each of these play so differently, and they all have their own distinct quirks and charms. The music to the physics to wacky enemies - we talk about it all. Do it up!

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He gets chopped up, I'm sure he's beside himself. Haha! Do you get it? Because he is in pieces?!

In this episode, Rick is joined by friend of the show Mikey (0-2 Heroes) to talk all about The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo, a short, surrealist point and click adventure game! Created by animator Nacho Rodriguez (A Life Story, 2013), this game has you trying to get poor ol' Mr. Coo back together again after being lopped into thirds by a nasty croc. This game is light on narrative, so we get into the weeds about surrealism and why interpreting art can - and should! - differ between people.

Check out this interview with Nacho Rodriguez!

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Now requiring 50% less quarters!

In this episode, something a little different: Rick is joined by friends of the show Mikey Tabletop (0-2 Heroes) and Raging Demon (Kommand List) to talk fighting games - three of them, in fact! This episode sees us talking all about Fighting Vipers, Dragonball Figherz, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. All things tech, arcade nostalgia, roster, and music are talked about here, and the conversation ends with a brief discussion on what makes fighting games so beautiful and expressive. Please enjoy!

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Thanks for giving me time to think. To keep doing what you set your heart on...It's a very hard thing to do...What to do when I felt lonely...That was the only thing you couldn't teach me. But we need to figure out the answer for ourselves... I'm so happy I met everyone...But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday. Everyone... Thank you. Farewell. My memories will be part of the sky...

The emotional conclusion to our Final Fantasy IX series is here. Rick and Eric begin by wrapping up some notable side quests throughout the game before tackling the rest of the narrative. The true nature of Zidane and Kuja's origins, the breakdown of our leader, the theories of the collective unconscious and the eternal return, and even the meaning of life...we talk about it all in this episode. Thank you, all, so much for being a part of this journey. I am so proud of what we have created.

Check out Eric's podcast, The Unlockables, here!


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Save your valediction, Steiner. We will live to see another day.

The saga continues, as once again Rick and Eric return to go through the entirety of Final Fantasy IX. This episode picks up after what we learned in Black Mage Village and sees us continue until we return there later - meeting a new Chocobo friend! This episode has us go through the beginning and majority of disc 3. Traditionally, this is seen as the part where the narrative tends to "drag" - but is that a fair assessment? Join us to find out. Do it up!

(Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for 100 episodes!)

Check out Eric's podcast, The Unlockables, here!


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