Press START

Boy, it's been another killing week for games media. On the bright side, Nathaniel is back for a special report at the top of the episode to share his compelling tale of buying a new 2DS XL on Facebook Marketplace. We've also got some Disco Elysium talk (Noah beat it), discussion about the Forspoken Discourse and Tori's update on Mario & Rabbids.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

Into the Aether.

The Verge on Proletariat's decision to not vote for a union.

The New York Times: Unions and Video Games.

Meet the Washington Post's new columnists. (eyeroll emoji) 

GamesIndustry.biz: Fandom is also laying people off, too.

Former Waypoint Radio host Austin Walker's essay on Forspoken, cringe culture and maintaining artifice in fantasy worlds.

Framerater on YouTube on how different Rayman Raving Rabbids almost was.

Willa Rowe for Inverse on a surprisingly queer social link in Persona 3: Portable.

Kay and Skittles from the AGAB podcast on how awesome Disco Elysium is.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod  and on tumblr at press-startpod.tumblr.com and you can email us strategy game recommendations for Tori at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

Noah's out this week but Nathaniel and Tori are picking up the slack and covering the news and what they're playing. Is it the season of the 3DS? We sure think so.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

The Verge on the slew of layoffs at Microsoft.

IGN's breakdown of what's different about the various 3DS models.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod  and on tumblr at press-startpod.tumblr.com and you can email us your favorite 3DS game at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

Whoa! Lots of video game news! Ubisoft's on the rocks, the QA workers who made Skyrim are organizing and lots more. Plus Tori's playing a J-pop game and Noah's playing Disco Elysium, which is decidedly not a J-pop game.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

QA workers at ZeniMax Media organized from TechCrunch.

Rumor has it that a Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch is on its way.

TheGamer asks whether the Breath of the Wild sequel will be the last major Switch game.

This great tweet about Final Fantasy from Ash Parrish on Twitter.

videogamedunkey's publishing house, Big Mode, announces its first game, Animal Well.

Kotaku reports Ubisoft is having a rough time.

Also from Kotaku: the next Assassin's Creed will be smaller.

Polygon's most anticipated indie games for 2023.

The Origin Story podcast on the game Venba.

PCGamer on the lawsuit that might kill any future Disco Elysium plans.

Extra special thanks to musical guests Expert Timing and their track Special Hell from their 2022 release Stargazing. 

You can listen to more of their music on bandcamp at: https://experttiming.bandcamp.com.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod  and on tumblr at press-startpod.tumblr.com and you can email us your Final Fantasy alignment at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

It's a whole new year we live in, so Tori and Noah have some harebrained predictions for 2023. Also, we're going over last year's ill-informed predictions, what games we're looking forward to in the new year and, as always, the stuff we're playing. 

Special thanks to HeyKipp for sharing their favorite games of 2022 with us. You can find more of their stuff at twitch.tv/HeyKipp and twitter.com/heykipp. 

THINGS MENTIONED: 

The Axe of the Blood God podcast.

The Triple Click podcast. 

ThorHighHeels video about all of the Square Enix games that released this year.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod  and on tumblr at press-startpod.tumblr.com and you can email us about where you think Ed Sheeran belongs at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

It's that time of the year again; the end, that is. Join Tori, Noah and Nathaniel as we share everything we enjoyed in 2022.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

The AGAB podcast's GOTY episode.

Ciao Papa from Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio.

Special shout out to our guests from this year who jumped in to share their GOTYS.

Emily Price.

The COMMNTD podcast.

Rae Paoletta.

HeyKipp.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod  and on tumblr at press-startpod.tumblr.com and you can email us about your GOTYs at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

 Nowadays, all you see is violence in video games and sex in ... video games. That's why Nathaniel and Noah are here to share some video game news about the Mario theme park in California and all of the holiday events in live service games. Nothing says holidays like Fortnite :)

THINGS MENTIONED: 

USA Today on the Mario theme park article.

Mario Kart 7 update from Nintendo Life.

Gematsu on We Love Katamari ReRoll.

Final Fantasy 1-6 pixel remasters rated on Switch, which have been formally announced to be coming to Switch since we recorded.

The TRUMP NFTs (from the Daily Beast) in case you need a laugh.

Special shout out to Jake Amaranthine for use of their track again. You can catch more of their music at their bandcamp: https://amaranthine.bandcamp.com. 

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us your thoughts on Family Guy at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

We've got a full slate of hosts this week to recap the Game Awards and dive into some news from the past week or so. There's a janky ultimate frisbee video game, there's more games unions and the Game Awards sure did happen. 

Special thanks to Nathaniel for joining us.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

This article from The Verge about the FTC suing to prevent Microsoft’s purchase of Actiblizz. 

This article from PC Gamer about unionization efforts at Bethesda. 

Polygon’s pro-union zine. 

This article from The Gamer about an anti-union snafu at the Game Awards. 

Kotaku on Fortnite not paying artists. 

Kotaku on the supposed woke opposition to Days Gone (lol).

GamesIndustry.biz on IGN layoffs.

ConcernedApe’s Alvvays music video.

Vice on Dwarf Fortress’ reasons for coming to Steam from 2019.

Gameplay of the Ultimate Frisbee video game. 

Oh and while we’re at it here’s the website for the Ultimate Frisbee game. 

Star Wars Explained on Jedi: Survivor.

Polygon’s interview of the Game Awards kid.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us your favorite Fortnite skin or your favorite conspiracy theory at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

It's just us this week, but there's some Hot video game news to cover, and we both finished Tunic! That plus we talk about some incredibly bad movies we used to watch as teenagers and how Star Wars is good (OK, that one's not really that outside the realm of normal stuff we talk about...). 

And for the final time, here's the link to sign up for our Video Game Gift Exchange: https://forms.gle/bDHidTovY6YDiJtX8

THINGS MENTIONED: 

Yuji Nika arrested for insider trading in Gematsu.

New Mario trailer (I’m gonna assume you don’t need the link for this one)

The Haunted PS1 Madvent Calendar for 2022.

This Polygon article about Masahiro Sakurai's hopes and dreams for Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Defector on Master of Disguise and 9/11.

Special thanks to Blvck Hippie for the use of their track Mansion in this episode. You can listen to more of their stuff on their bandcamp at: https://blvckhippieband.bandcamp.com.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us questions about the gift exchange at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.

Holy crossover Batman! We took a digital trip this week to visit our friends AJ and Kim at the show Asynchronous for their end-of-the-year wrap up series, Synchronous. We had a great time and we figured we'd drop this show in the Press START feed. In the meantime, go listen to Asynchronous, a video game catch up show. 

Below is the original episode description from the folks over at Asynch with the episode chapter markers! Happy listening!

//

On this show we love talking about only video games. A lot of people are saying this!

Big thanks to Noah and Tori for coming on the show!

Press Start Gift exchange form 

Things Discussed:

Gaming

Horse Tales Emerald Valley Ranch

Dressage

Carly Rae Jepsen's 2022 masterpiece The Loneliest Time

Elden Ring

Goncharov (1973)

Goncharov: why has the internet invented a fake Martin Scorsese film? from The Guardian

The Garbage Day newsletter from Ryan Broderick

Pokemon Violet

Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk

Milk Outside a Bag of Milk Outside a Bag of Milk

Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix

Taylor Swift's 2022 masterpiece Midnights

//

Follow us!

The show - https://twitter.com/asynchpodKim - https://twitter.com/OhKimmiesAJ - https://twitter.com/ajfillari

//

Thanks to _amaranthine for our theme music! Listen to his other stuff on bandcamp! - https://amaranthine.bandcamp.com/Follow him on Twitter! - https://twitter.com/_amrnthne

Thanks to Scout for making our art! Check out her ko-fi! - https://ko-fi.com/humblegoatFollow her on Twitter! - https://twitter.com/humblegoat

//

Produced & edited by AJ Fillari

https://theworstgarbage.online/

(00:00) - Hey look! This is in the show notes!

(00:41) - Intro feat. gaming journalists (journalists that game)!

(06:01) - An update on the Ranch

(10:20) - The Horsiest Shit (courtesy of Matt Horton)

(37:18) - Elden Ring

(46:08) - Elden Ring | Volcano Manor SPOILERS

(50:11) - Elden Ring

(54:01) - Goncharov (1973)

(01:05:17) - Pokemon Violet

(01:17:20) - Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk & Milk Outside a Bag of Milk Outside a Bag of Milk

(01:25:34) - Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix

(01:34:29) - The Main """""Game"""""

(02:02:15) - We love video games. And we love YOU!

(02:02:39) - Listen to Press Start!!

(02:04:38) - Thank you for listening!

This episode goes a lot of places. From Tori's religious trauma to Noah's fascination with/review of Shenmue on the Dreamcast, we've got it all. 

THINGS MENTIONED: 

Game Awards nominees for this year.

Sonic Frontiers Digital Foundry review.

I am Jesus Christ from EW and from Vice.

Maggie Mae Fish on the movie Fireproof.

Matt Horton Tunic.

This post about Tunic on Cohost.

Noah’s cohost chost about Shenmue.

The Girl Mode podcast.

Willa Rowe on Persona 3's ending for Inverse.

And special thanks to this week's musical guest, Vivid Fever Dreams, and their track "WHY DID U GO." 

You can listen to more of their stuff at: https://vividfeverdreams.bandcamp.com/

Vivid Fever Dreams Bandcamp, special thanks for their use of the track WHY DID U GO.

Our cool sounds and intro/outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. We curate your gaming news together and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us questions about the gift exchange at [email protected]. We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice! Good text reviews will be read out on the show.

Find us on social media, and wherever else podcasts are found, here: linktr.ee/press_startpod.