The Insert Credit Show

Your beloved panel covers advances in stealth games, new Pokemon types, and whether or not Marty McFly has a scrote. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: What is the correct amount of time to sit down and play a video game in front of your TV? (05:57)

2: Which video games are most responsible for advancing their genre? (13:02)

3: What even is the incentive to make video games commercially? (19:43)

4: Design a new Pokemon type (25:13)

5: Dr. Booperstein III asks, are all video games derivative of the first generation of video games? (32:08)

6: What’s the stupidest playable race in a video game? (39:18)

7: What is the Steven Spielberg’s Stanley Kubrick’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) of video games? (46:16)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (52:58)

Recommendations and Outro (58:24):

Hard Truths (XX:XX):

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Narrative designer Stella Sacco joins the panel to cover Grand Theft Auto VI, detecting AI in games, and pink plush Peeps bunnies.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Stella Sacco. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: How are we feeling about Grand Theft Auto VI? (05:38)

2: How can we trust any new video games not to use AI? (15:52)

3: How have video game companies most egregiously attempted to rewrite their own histories? (20:40)

4: Which movies most need a “Scarface: The World is Yours” type sequel with the protagonist coming back to life? (25:17)

5: Room Check! (32:48)

6: WillaWisp asks, what is the CeraVe Daily Moisturizer of video games? (38:16)

7: If Dolly Parton asked you to show her some video games, which ones would you show her? (43:35)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Blind Pull Quote (48:41)

Recommendations and Outro (58:27):

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The panel reviews Resident Evil 4, a foundational 3rd person action horror game with memorable characters, a novelty controller, and an egg meta. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: What did you know about Resident Evil 4 before playing? (03:17)

2: Do we need to reevaluate escort missions in 2026? (18:18)

3: How important is it for a horror game to be scary? (23:27)

4: Is inventory management fun? (36:45)

5: Dustin asks, what games should have a novelty controller? (51:08)

6: Let’s talk about the remakes (57:53)

7: Why is this game important? (01:06:31)

8: Where does Resident Evil 4 rank among the Capcom Five? (01:08:27)

LIGHTNING ROUND: What’re Ya Buyin? (01:13:57)

Recommendations and Outro (01:20:15):

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Editor and Media Critic Esper Quinn joins Jaffe, Frank and Brandon for an evening of video game writing, high volume of death, and the Mr. Bones Apology Tour.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Esper Quinn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: What do you look for in a video game castle? (04:18)

2: What kinds of video games have the narrowest distinction between a good one and a bad one? (10:22)

3: Hey Esper, what are the hardest video games to find footage for when making the video edition of Insert Credit? (15:34)

4: What do video game writers get away with that would never fly in other media? (22:38)

5: Magnanimus asks, other than humans, what creature has been killed the most times across all video games? (26:58)

6: On which occasions have you told someone specifically not to play a video game? (31:42)

7: What is the FLCL of video games? (35:44)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Magic: the Sortening (40:40)

Recommendations and Outro (01:00:11)

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Frank, Ash, and Brandon answer Jaffe’s questions about simple ways to improve any game, documentary video game adaptations, and turning consoles into anime girls.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

1: What is something simple you can add to any video game to make it immediately better? (03:53)

2: Is there something you’ve encountered in a game you can only explain as an inside joke? (10:43)

3: What are your standard practices for saving your game? (16:26)

4: Design anthropomorphized versions of obscure video game consoles for a Hyperdimension Neptunia reboot (21:48)

5: Death_Strandicoot asks, what would be the best documentary to adapt into a video game? (30:57)

6: What games in the Game Industry Hardship Bundle do you think Frank, Ash, and Insert Credit listeners would like most? (36:30)

7: Whos a cool lady? (42:23)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Verb Coding (48:17)

Recommendations and Outro (56:36):

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The panel you know and love returns to discuss E3, user generated content, and Ryan Baby Goose.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: What’s everybody been up to lately? (03:13)

2 What was E3 like? (12:06)

3: What are the best implementations of weather effects in video games? (19:27)

4: Design a dating game that takes place at the Cheesecake Factory (25:05)

5: Room Check! (32:24)

6: SteveWithAB asks, what was a major inflection point for video games that didn’t feel like one at the time? (40:04)

7: What is the Emily Wilson’s critique of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey of video games? (45:29)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Notable Patreon Characters (54:22)

Recommendations and Outro (01:05:31):

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Writer and narrative designer Stella Sacco joins Brandon and Esper to cover pandering in games, T4T energy, and dokidokidecahedrons. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Brandon Sheffield, Esper Quinn, and Stella Sacco. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

1: What’s the difference between catering to an audience and pandering to an audience? (03:59)

2: What are some things video game writers have to do that most people don’t think about? (09:19)

3: Are there any examples of studio notes improving a game? (14:42)

4: Which video game romance has the most T4T energy? (21:51)

ONLINE MULTIPLAYER: Gen Z/Gen Alpha Only! What was your first video game? (27:16)

5: Gaagaagiins asks, why is Mario’s mustache black, but his hair is brown? (35:16)

6: In video games with dialogue, is it always preferable to have voice acting? (42:11)

7: What is the Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) of video games? (52:57)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Giallo Films (58:40)

Recommendations and Outro (01:11:43):

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The panel covers game cancellations, Gen Z’s first games, and consummating a game.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

1: What game do you think was the first game for the highest percentage of Gen Z gamers? (03:14)

2: What was the longest you have been stuck on a video game? (08:52)

3: What’s the hardest you’ve ever been hit by a video game cancellation? (15:32)

4: If you could replace the words “Press Start” on video game start up screens with any other phrase, what would it be? (21:50)

5: Propelleher asks, what video game character would you trust to house sit for you while you’re away? (26:44)

6: What do you predict will be the final non-Nintendo game released on a disc? (32:49)

7: What is the Chubby Checker’s “Let’s Twist Again” of video games? (36:05)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Micro Maker (41:25)

Recommendations and Outro (52:12):

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Gen Z/Gen Alpha listeners ONLY! Send a one minute or less .mp3 or .wav of yourself sharing your first video game, the games you remember your older siblings playing, or what you think the final Prima Strategy Guide was to [email protected] and maybe we’ll play it on air in a future episode!

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Legendary podcaster and founder of Maximum Fun Jesse Thorn joins Ash and Brandon for summer speedruns, a Def Jam: Vendetta update, and the besta Bethesda. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Ash Parrish, Brandon Sheffield, and Jesse Thorn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

1: What’s going on with speedrunning lately? (04:30)

2: How are old bad games bad differently from how new bad games are bad? (11:32)

3: Design a new Def Jam fighting game for 2026 (17:11)

4: Are video games artsy? (25:27)

5: LeFish asks, would you rather live one year of your life with big head mode, loudly speak like a Mario, or only be able to walk like you’re tank controlled? (34:07)

6: What’s the best-a Bethesda? (43:27)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Equip This On (56:33)

Recommendations and Outro (01:21:18):

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Our illustrious panel covers the end of games on discs, Marathon Steve, and how much money Ash has spent on Love and Deepspace. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

1: Can we address Sony? (06:20)

2: What’s the longest you’ve played a game before realizing you were playing it the wrong way? (12:50)

3: What are the most inventive ways the camera has been used in a video game? (17:56)

4: What should Jaffe do about the fan response to his popular romance game? (24:21)

5: spencergifs asks, how long should it take to make a game? (34:15)

6: On which non-video game subjects does most or all of your knowledge on them come from video games? (40:35)

7: What is The Godfather Part III (1990) of video games? (46:07)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Price is Sprite (52:04)

Recommendations and Outro (01:04:59):

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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