The Experience Points Podcast

You hear that? It's the sound of a jet pack gone quiet. Last week BioWare announced it's intention to shut down Anthem's relaunch, leaving us to wonder "What if?" This week, we go down the "what if?" road not just for Anthem, but for other games that seemed to have potential. We can't help but think that somewhere there's an alternate universe where we're all playing 1 vs. 100 and reading all of the GOTY awards for Cyberpunk. Maybe Anthem was the key to it all?

This week on the EXP Podcast, we discuss three new games we've been playing: Little Nightmares 2, Bowser's Fury, and Valheim. From the dark terrifying woods, to Nintendo's new open world, and into the festive halls of Valhalla, we finally have some new and exciting games to review!

Show Notes: - Music by Brad Sucks

Please excuse all the cigar chomping noises on this week's show: we've become Hollywood producers and were told that cigars were a requirement. Video game movies and casting choices collide this week, as we cover quirky robots, furry animals, and fantasy directors' cuts. Just be glad that we didn't release the Snyder cut of this episode; it's 7 hours long.

Like digital Robin-hoods, internet sleuths and criminals have patched together two pieces of video game history. The first is the unforgettable GoldenEye 007 which is alive again with some buttery-smooth frame rates. The second is the audio tracks for Super Mario World. This week on the podcast, we chat about salvaging history by means of unethical behavior.

Oh, and E3 is back too. Sort of...

Show Notes:

Jorge and I have apparently planned out our retirement: we're going to find a museum, set up shop with a little "artifacts you can touch" cart, and lure people in to talk about video games. We still have a ways to go before living that docent life, but we can at least imagine it. Thanks to Nicole Carpenter's recent article about the links between video games and museums, we had the chance to go through some of our favorite virtual exhibits.

This week on the EXP Podcast, we go big - and I mean really big! Today we cover the latest trailer for Godzilla vs Kong, a new film in the "Monsterverse" film franchise and why we're so fascinated by massive beasts and the disasters they bring. We also identify some games that achieve an enormous sense of scale, or at least more enormous than most games.

Won't somebody please think of the children? This week, we heed Helen Lovejoy's plea and step into the fraught environment of parenting choices and children's screen time. Inspired by the continuing pandemic as well as a New York Times article on the subject, we dissect the increased screen time kids (along with everyone else) is getting. I suppose this is a good time to pat ourselves on the pack for making an audio show; no screens necessary!

Allegedly it's 2021 but, looking around, I still have my doubts. This week on the EXP Podcast, we try hope the year ahead is brighter than the last and look forward to our most anticipated games of 2021, some of which might actually come out! From AAA to indies, there are a lot of games to be excited for.

Show Notes: - Runtime: 37 min 32 sec - Music from Brad Sucks

2020 is almost behind us, but before we go, it's time to take another look back at some of the games that didn't make it to the very top of our lists. Unlike almost everything else that happened this year, video games were pretty good, which means that we have some very tasty leftovers to sample. Throw on those sweatpants, plant yourself on the couch, and let's run the clock down on this year and look forward to the next.

It's time to run through our picks for the best games of 2020! This no-good, terrible, very bad year is coming to an end, but there are some things to celebrate before its over. Today, we discuss each of our top picks.

We would love to hear from you as well! Send us an email with your favorite game of the year. And be sure to come back next week for our yearly leftover discussion!

Show Notes: - Runtime: 47 min 49 sec - Music from Brad Sucks