While the first attempt at recording Episode 41 might have failed due to technical difficulties, we've returned this week with a brand new and totally original discussion of Flower, the PlayStation 3's 2009 indie darling. While playing as the wind using motion controls might have been a breath of fresh air, has the game become stale over time? What about the prestigious "Best Independent Game Fueled By Dew" award that the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards bestowed upon Flower? Has the honor of that accolade dimmed over the past years? More importantly, is Flower one of the best games period?

Outro music: Shenmue 'Reflections' by Reuben Kee (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01159)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Rest in peace, Reuben Kee.

Back in the mists of the year 2000, Sega and Overworks released a game for the Dreamcast called Skies of Arcadia. The title made a name for itself as one of the finest RPGs available on the system - some people even argued that it was one of the best games made for the Dreamcast period. In fact, there was so much buzz around the game that it was ported to the Nintendo GameCube three years later. Jack makes the argument that, in either form, it's well worth playing - provided you can track down an elusive copy of the swashbuckling sky pirate game.

Outro music: Sonic Advance 'The Glacier's Peak' by jmr (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02370)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

One of the monoliths that has topped the lists of the best video games of all-time, we're finally doing it. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Recorded just days after the 20th anniversary of the N64, join us as we discuss one of the most universally praised (or is it universally over-hyped?) games of the early 3D era. What do you think - is Ocarina of Time truly worthy of being recognized as one of the best games period?  

Outro music: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 'Pachelbel's Ganon' by djpretzel (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00753)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Jeremy flies solo this week with an episode talking about the show's first mobile game: You Must Build A Boat. A match-3 game from early 2015 that took the mobile world by storm, garnering accolades and perfect scores from across the industry. A sequel to 1000000, Touch Arcade stated that You Must Build A Boat "makes the original game feel like a demo. It’s absurdly fun and nearly impossible to put down." What earns it a spot worthy of highlighting on The Best Games Period as an honorable mention? Listen and learn. 

Outro music: Undertale 'Make Your Life Hell' by LongBoxofChocolate (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03424)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Two games concluded the run of Capcom's golden age of IP development with their semi-independent Clover Studio: God Hand and Okami. There are few games with the pedigree of Okami; directed by Hideki Kamiya (the creator of Viewtiful Joe, Devil May Cry, and future creator of Bayonetta) and produced by Atsushi Inaba (one of the most successful game producers of all time). Released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, Okami holds the world record as being one of the least commercially successful game to garner multiple game of the year awards. Does it stand as one of the best games period a decade later?

Outro music: Okami 'Celestial Winds from the East' by McVaffe (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01700)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod

Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

The gang is back together this week and all ready to talk about the defining first-person shooter of the last console generation. The 2007 release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare changed the way almost all FPS developers approached multiplayer and paved the way for yearly releases for non-sports titles. Does Infinity Ward's highly acclaimed title hold up almost a decade later? 

Outro music: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals 'Searing Aggression' by zircon (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03386)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod

Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

During the episode on Bastion a few weeks ago, Daniel and Jack got off on a particularly long and detailed tangent on the subject of No Man's Sky. This wasn't a planned part of the episode, just an interesting back and forth on their experiences with the most controversial game of 2016. This isn't fully an episode of The Best Games Period or even an Honorable Mention episode - just an extended conversation in which Daniel and Jack try to suss out how they feel about life, the universe, and everything else encompassed by Hello Games' indie gamble, No Man's Sky.

Outro music: Gradius Gaiden 'The Heavens Are Calling' by Ivan Hakštok and Sixto Sounds (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03371)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod

Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

The stealth genre is one that has historically been populated by a smattering of high profile hits like Metal Gear Solid or Thief and more than a few attempts that failed to leave more than a lingering impression. Not many companies were looking to take a big risk on a stealth game in 2012, let alone a 2D sidescrolling action-platformer (which, to the best of our knowledge, hadn't really been done prior). Indie studio Klei Entertainment embraced minimalist design principles and took a big gamble on Mark of the Ninja. Players took on the role of a ninja tattooed with the madness-inducing mark of their clan and entrusted with the task of defending it from villainous mercenaries. How does this moderately well-received indie title hold up several years later?

Outro music: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja 'Oedo Hop' by Palpable (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01255)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod

Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Supergiant Games released Bastion on Xbox 360, followed shortly by a PC release, back in 2011. It smashed onto the indie scene with isometric action and light RPG elements. The art design from Jen Zee, the musical work from Darren Korb, and a groundbreaking narration preformance from Logan Cunningham arguably reframed indie games in the public consciousness. 

Outro music: Bastion 'A 'Kid-pella' by Andrew McLaren, David Lane, Dorothy Hayden, Ryan Billington, and Square Law (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02673)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod

Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins released for PC and console back in 2009, presenting a wholly original fantasy world with a highly refined strategic RPG system. It offered players complex moral dilemmas and a reactive, entertaining cast of characters on a quest to slay a dragon and save the world. In Dragon Age, BioWare solidified their title as master storytellers in the mainstream sense (PC RPG enthusiasts had already known for years). Does Dragon Age: Origins remain one of the highlights of the RPG genre or has age taken its toll?

Outro music: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 'Have Ship, Will Travel' by Nostalvania (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03399)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod

Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod