Press START

It's been a big week for intellectual properties and the mega-corporations that own them! It's been a pretty OK week for gamers, too, I guess. Come for the gaming news, stay for Tori's Neon Genesis Evangelion opinions.

 Speaking of, SPOILERS FOR NEON GENESIS EVANGELION FROM 43:50 to 55:35. (The worst of the spoilers are in the first five minutes, but hardcore spoiler avoiders should skip the entire Evangelion chunk.)

THINGS MENTIONED: 

These articles from Kotaku about ongoing harassment allegations at Nintendo and the company's internal response.

This Polygon article about Diablo 4.

Another Polygon article about Diablo Immortal's scummy microtransactions.

This article from The Verge about Embracer Group's buying spree.

Polygon's explainer on the nutty Lord of the Rings licensing deals.

Gamespot on Multiversus' leaked content disappearing.

PCGamer on NexusMods.

That Twitter thread about nazi bars.

Renata Price's review of Soul Hackers 2 for Waypoint.

George Yang's Soul Hackers 2 review for the Washington Post.

ThorHighHeels excellent PS3 video.

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 and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us about your favorite Fortnite skin 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.

Tori and Noah are joined this week by Cori and Nia from COMMNTD for a fun conversation about games we love, K-Dramas and lots more. 

THINGS MENTIONED: 

Noah Samson on YouTube.

FD Signifier on YouTube.

Khadija Mbowe on YouTube.

Shrine of Cards on itch.io.

You can listen to COMMNTD wherever you find podcasts and check the show out on Twitter and Tiktok. 

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 and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us K-Drama recommendations and your thoughts on Kingdom Hearts 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're back from a week off to talk gaming news, a custom car and all the stuff we're playing. Noah talks Star Wars (shocker, I know) and Tori talks weird Animal Crossing clones. There's lots more, too.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

This article from The Verge about how busted KOTOR II was when it launched on Switch.

This Bloomberg report about the craziness going on at Aspyr.

Pictures of some of the leaked figures for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

This Polygon article about Hokko Life.

The tiktok user making the Wiiata

This IGN article about how Playstation’s accolades are going away.

The latest episode of Waypoint Radio that touches on MultiVersus.

This tweet thread from Waypoint Radio host Renata Price.

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 and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us questions or your thoughts on microtransactions 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.

The cat game finally released AND there's another union brewing at Activision Blizzard? Well slap my ass and press the meow button 100 times. We're talking about all of that, the dangers of dinner theater, James Cameron's Avatar and more. 

THINGS MENTIONED: 

Paul Tassi for Forbes on why Minecraft saying no to NFTs is such a big deal.

Folding Ideas on sandbox games and colonialism.

This Polygon article about the dangers of gaming outside amid record heats.

The Washington Post on Blizzard Albany's unionization efforts.

These articles in the NYTimes and Huffpost about the Medieval Times castles unionizing.

The new Jacob Geller video about Zelda.

Skyhoppers new video about the Wind Waker.

The new Chill Goblin video about gender theory.

Video Game Podmitism.

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 and Noah produces the show. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us questions or your thoughts on James Cameron's Avatar 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 and Tori take you deep into their memory cards to explore what makes Persona 3 (both the FES and Portable releases of the game) such a special entry in the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series. Buckle in, grab your tarot deck and get ready for a wild ride full of demons, suicidal teenagers and unforgettable characters.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

This video from YouTuber KBash exploring Persona 3.

This Patreon bonus episode from the Into the Aether podcast about Personas 3, 4 and 5.

Our cool sounds, as well as the intro and outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us questions or thoughts on what you're playing 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.

Are you investing in the new web3 video game console? Then Press START has some swampland in Florida to sell you! Noah's getting over COVID so we kept things short this week. We're making fun of crypto scams, talking about E3's supposed return and lots more. 

THINGS MENTIONED: 

The itch.io bundle for abortion rights.

Caro Asercion on Twitter and itch.

This Destructoid article from earlier this year about how Nintendo was still repairing JoyCon drift for free.

Kotaku on the Polium One.

Ryan Broderick’s tweet thread about the Polium One.

This Kotaku article about Gamestop getting in on NFTs from a few months ago.

This Variety article about how E3 is apparently coming back.

The team that won Twitch Plays Pokemon

This video from The Gamers From Mars that does a good job breaking down the lore and “story” of Twitch Plays Pokemon.

Our cool sounds, as well as the intro and outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us questions or thoughts on what you're playing 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.

Want to hear three 20-somethings relitigate the decades-old argument of whether games can be art? Well you're in for a treat when Tori and Noah delve into games criticism, art criticism and much, much more with special guest writer Emily Price. Price has a regular column at Unwinnable, and she's written about games for the Washington Post, Paste Magazine and more.

It's not all hippy-dippy art crit, though. We're also talking Final Fantasy VII, our brief thoughts on the latest Nintendo Direct and, of course, what we're playing this week. You can find Emily on Twitter: @the_emilyap 

THINGS MENTIONED: 

Unwinnable. 

Emily’s review of Norco for The Washington Post. 

Emily’s latest column for Unwinnable. 

This Vice article further explaining the Call of Duty Highway of Death controversy. 

Jacob Geller on YouTube. 

Geller’s videos about Disco Elysium and Call of Duty.

Waypoint’s Lore Reasons series about Kingdom Hearts (Start at the bottom for the first episode). 

A Polygon article breaking down the weird history of Kingdoms of Amateur. 

Homestuck Made This World on the Ranged Touch network of podcasts. 

Emily on Misericorde for Paste Magazine. 

Our cool sounds, as well as the intro and outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us questions or thoughts on what you're playing 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.

Ah, summertime. What better way to weather the oppressive heat than with a cocktail by the pool and some video game time? Noah and Tori reminisce about some of the games they played in bygone summers as well as some games with distinctly summer-y aesthetics. Plus there's some news, some Michael Jackson and some Gundam. 

CONTENT WARNING FOR BRIEF MENTION OF ABORTION FROM 1:12:00 to 1:13:00

THINGS MENTIONED:

This Polygon article about Elden Ring re-imagined as a SNES game.

Another Polygon article explaining the Yuji Naka tweet heard around the world.

Space Michael on the Space Channel 5 wiki.

Some additional info from the Lost Media Wiki about the N64 Final Fantasy tech demo.

This Eurogamer with more information about the latest update from GSC Game World, the Ukrainian dev team behind S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2.

The Star Fox vid by Transparency.

Water Womb World on itch.io.

Our cool sounds, as well as the intro and outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us your fond summer gaming memories at [email protected].

We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice!

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

Tori and Noah spend a good chunk of the show wading through the unbearable amount of game announcements from the past week and a half. We're also celebrating Pride Month with the strange little creature Square Enix is using to raise money for GLAAD. There's other stuff in here too.

THINGS MENTIONED:

More games than it is literally possible for me to have kept track of.

Video Games Chronicle says a Nintendo Direct is nearly upon us.

This No Escape article about needing new verbs.

How to make the industry greener, from WIRED.

The latest update on Actiblizz unionization from CNN.

This Square Enix press release about their Pride mascot from last year.

The episode of Mom, We Can't Pause that Noah guested on.

This Kazuma Hashimoto article about Ghosts of Tsushima's depiction of Japan.

Our cool sounds, and the intro and outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us game recommendations what you're playing at [email protected].

We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice!

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

It's an upcoming game news extravaganza this episode. Pokemon news, Sonic news and a PlayStation State of Play. Noah wants to eat Lechonk and Tori's cat game finally gets a release date. Noah tries to sell Tori on Dragon Quest IX. Also, both of our cats make an appearance in this episode because they are loud sometimes.

THINGS MENTIONED: 

New Pokemon trailer.

This Kotaku article about how tasty Lechonk looks.

Toby Fox Homestuck mpreg Pokemon music.

This Nintendo Life article breaking down the Dragon Quest Day news.

The tweet that BioWare used to announce the next Dragon Age game.

The new Sonic gameplay we made fun of.

The Hard Drive article also making fun of the new Sonic gameplay.

The latest episode of the Into the Aether podcast.

This Polygon article about the new game Eternights.

Oh yeah, this new trailer for a Sims 4 werewolf expansion.

Our cool sounds, and the intro and outro music are by GEIST and our show art is by Kai at Wisp Graphics. You can follow the show on Twitter @Press_StartPod and you can email us game recommendations and what condiments you would use to dress your Lechonk kawali with at [email protected]. 

We'd also appreciate if you left us reviews on your podcast app of choice!

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