Power Up and Play

Jon & Ian discuss their most memorable and unique gameplay experiences. In 2020, games cost so much to produce and that results in the same game being re-made or re-imagined over and over again. In this episode Jon & Ian praise devs for going against the grain and trying out something that's never been done before. Inspired by Death Stranding & Hideo Kojima.

In celebration of Spooktober, Jon and Ian discuss their favorite survival horror games. Jon reminisces about the PSX and PS2 error (surprise!) and Ian goes into detail about what he loved about this gen's best horror game, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. 

Jon & Ian discuss the debacle that was the Xbox Series X/S and Playstation 5 pre-orders. Find out if they acquired their desired consoles and let us know if you did, too. Also discussed is the Microsoft acquisition of Bethesda and what that means for this gen and how Game Pass just keeps looking better and better.

Jon & Ian discuss the long awaited details of the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X announcements. With next-gen right around the corner it was about time! We are officially 2 months away from entering the next generation of console gaming! Also in the news, we had a killer Nintendo Direct with the reveal of Super Mario 3D All Stars, Mario Kart Live, and Super Mario Bros. 35: Battle Royale. So much to discuss! Exciting times to be a gamer.

Jon and Ian recap the past 2 weeks of the relatively quiet gaming world. They discuss the abysmal Madden 21 reviews (0.3 user score on metacritic) and why sports games are the way they are, and the path that led us there.

Ian talks through his experience finally starting his backlog, with Resident Evil 7, and the feelings invoked from playing. This sparks a discussion about "Games that make us feel" and how games are an underappreciated form of art. Okami, Ico, and other games are brought up and discussed. Jon talks about his favorite video game soundtracks and how music influences how video games make us feel. 

Also, TimTheTatMan sucks at Fall Guys :)

Jon and Ian go "Agenda-less" and just discuss the week's gaming news, their lack of excitement for the next generation of consoles, and upcoming releases they're excited for. Jon shares excitement for the recent resurgence of "Among Us" and how Twitch streamers are enjoying and sharing their experience with their audiences.

Jon & Ian discuss XBOX Live becoming Free, Halo: Infinite multiplayer launching as a free to play title, and the PlayStation Plus launch of Fall Guys. They go on to talk about their extensive backlogs and how daunting and challenging it can be to go back and play those games you've been meaning to take out of the wrapper for way too long. 

Jon and Ian take a deep dive into the world of console exclusivity. Inspired by the recent Xbox Games Showcase, they review each console developer's first party exclusives and take a trip down memory lane to reminisce about their favorite consoles. They also take some shots at predicting the future and what they think will happen this upcoming generation.

Jon and Ian introduce themselves in the debut episode of the Power Up and Play podcast and take a dive into human nature, and why we keep coming back to video games. They compare gaming in 2020 to different eras including the 80s and 90s arcades, early PS2 online gaming and how we got to where we are today.