It's that time of year again and we hope you're ready for The Swapping Joysticks Awards 2023! We choose a winner from 8 different categories and reveal the Community Games of the Year Top 10.

Also, pay close attention for part one of our game giveaway!

00:00:00 Intro

00:06:20 Hottest mess

00:18:43 Biggest surprise

00:35:00 Best new IP

00:53:52 Catchiest Song

01:04:34 Best boss fight

01:17:26 Sexiest voice

01:33:05 Best old game

01:52:43 Best remaster

02:10:35 Community Game of the Year Top 10

02:18:22 Wrap up

What a week it's been since The Game Awards! So much for an end-of-year lull. Ed's played Echoes of the Fallen, the first DLC from Final Fantasy XVI and he's also played through Final Fantasy 2, the Pixel Remaster version. Ben's been playing Marvel's Spider-Man 2, with a fair chunk on the PlayStation Portal!

Also, we chat about gaming news, including The Day Before (which Ed played), linear Zelda games, and Twitch's new nudity guidelines.

Plus, what you've been playing!

We've just watched The Game Awards 2023! Let's run through everything that got announced, what we loved, what we didn't care about, what we thought of the winners, and everything else (except the SEGA news, which we forgot about - blame the fact that we're recording this at 6am). Plus, what you've been playing!

We mention:

• Baldur’s Gate 3

Inbox: It's the return of Inbox, and we're discussing your questions all about Mario. From what side characters we think deserve their own games to why they never need to come to any other platform, and how Untitled Waluigi Game needs to happen, this is the Mario chatter you've been waiting for.

Inbox is a weekly bite-sized show where we discuss a different topic each week. Join the Discord at https://discord.gg/biggusbennus or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SwapJoysticks to be notified when we're looking for topic questions!

Oh wow, no sooner had a leaker shared the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer all over the internet, Rockstar released it in full HD glory!

Join us as we chat about the trailer, what we want to see from the game, how they keep it fresh for another decade, and much more.

Ep 113: We've had a week off in Cape Verde and are back feeling fully refreshed. Ed's played (and finished) the remastered Super Mario RPG, and Ben's been playing a lot of the original Final Fantasy VII.

We also have a long debate stemming from a big bit of Twitter drama when we were away regarding whether content creators should be paid to produce sponsored videos and the ethics behind it.

Plus, we chat about what you've been playing, and the latest in gaming and streaming news!

00:00:00 - Intro & holiday chat

00:16:51 - Super Mario RPG

00:30:50 - Super Mario Wonder

00:34:29 - Final Fantasy VII (Original)

00:53:29 - What you've been playing

01:07:43 - Is it ethical for content creators to receive money to make content?

01:57:38 - Outro

Ep 112: It's been busy week full of gaming and Ed's finally completed Alan Wake 2. He's got a lot to say on it, especially after completing Alan Wake Remastered earlier this month.

Ben's also bought a PlayStation Portal and found it's more than adequate for what he wants from it. He's also fully finished Pikmin 4, which is a feat in itself (for him). Plus, we chat about what you've been playing, and the latest in gaming and streaming news!

**Podcasts will be released on Fridays from now on, with the first on December 1st**

00:00:00 - Intro

00:04:30 - PlayStation Portal

00:13:07 - Pikmin 4 00:19:22 - Lies of P

00:26:32 - Alan Wake 2

00:47:57 - What you've been playing

01:06:37 - Headlines (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth update, The Last Of Us Part 2 Remake, Steam Autumn Sale)

01:16:09 - Outro

Ep 111: We're joined by the MMORPG creator, caster, host and streamer, Rook to chat all things MMORPGs. We discuss the state of FFXIV, Dawntrail, WoW, Guild Wars 2, and the future of FFXIV and other MMORPGs.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:50 - Our MMO history

00:09:02 - Casting for FFXIV & WoW (including PvP)

00:24:23 - Las Vegas & London Fanfests 00:40:59 - The FFXIV community

00:49:12 - Dawntrail & new job(s) 01:06:23 - The red suit and cosplaying!

01:10:20 - The music of FFXIV

01:15:48 - The future of FFXIV and MMOs

01:28:35 - WoW on Xbox

01:33:07 - Thank yous & outro

Ep 110: We've both been playing some fantastic games this week. Ed has been stuck into a Marvel's Spider-Man 2 web and can't put the game down, while Ben is trying his hardest to save it for a YouTube let's play. Meanwhile, Ben has found himself in marathon gaming sessions with Cities Skylines 2. With recommended settings found on Reddit, he's having no issues with performance and can fully enjoy this incredible sequel. Ben has also played a bit of Super Mario Wonder and, as expected, it's pretty awesome too.

Plus, we chat about what you've been playing, and the latest in gaming and streaming news!

00:00:00 - Intro & future guests announcement

00:11:22 - Marvel's Spider-Man 2

00:25:33 - Cities Skylines II

00:40:01 - Super Mario Wonder

00:43:54 - What you've been playing

00:53:18 - News (Pokemon DLC & Blizzcon announcements)

01:09:00 - Outro

Ep 109: After a weeklong break, we're back and we're chatting all about the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in London. We talk about what we got up to, what was announced, and all the incredible people we were lucky enough to meet. We've also both just started Spider-Man 2, Ed's finished Alan Wake Remastered, and Ben's put down Cocoon for good.

Plus, we chat about what you've been playing, and the latest in gaming and streaming news, including the Xbox Partner Showcase!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:31 - Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2023 London Debrief

00:37:30 - Marvel's Spider-Man 2

00:43:44 - Sonic Superstars

00:47:35 - Alan Wake Remastered

00:54:50 - Cocoon

01:01:41 - What you've been playing

01:05:55 - News (Xbox Partner Preview, big Capcom announcement, TwitchCon announcements)

01:29:06 - Outro