The Insert Credit Show

Insert Credit co-founder Brandon Sheffield joins the panel to cover the current state of Japanese games, ace representation in video games, and owning seven PSPs.

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: Brandon, what’s going on in Japan with video games right now? (08:13)

2: How do you make equipment management fun in games? (15:25)

3: Which characters in video games can be claimed as asexual? (21:50)

4: What is the most ill-advised video game related purchase you’ve ever made? (30:02)

5: Room Check! (37:05)

6: Joel Valentin asks, what game do you wish had become the defining influence in its genre? (50:05)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Forgotten-Named Game (54:14)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:33)

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Writer, podcaster, and Hindu pandit Shivam Bhatt joins the panel to cover spirituality in games, Activision’s Halo, and video games for dogs. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Shivam Bhatt. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: Which video games have you had spiritual experiences with? (08:26)

2: What is the difference in tone and content between Western and Asian dramas? (19:54)

3: What is Activision’s Halo going to look like? (25:36)

4: Joel Valentin asks, what is something you thought only existed in video games until you were made aware of it in real life? (31:22)

5: Brandon Sheffield asks, design a game for a dog (36:34)

6: What is the printing a Magic card so imbalanced it has to be immediately banned from tournament play of video games? (40:23)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Planes Talkers (46:01)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:58):

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Host of Post Games Chris Plante joins the panel to the future of video game journalism, the new Wolverine game, and a boxed copy of Microsoft Excel.

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

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SHOW NOTES:

1: How can video games responsibly portray physical disability? (07:15)

2: How important is fidelity in video game adaptation? (14:47)

3: Brandon Sheffield asks: what are some games that struck you immediately as being good, bad, or otherwise tailored toward you? (23:30)

4: How do you adapt a podcast into a broadway show? (29:03)

5: Bigger J asks, there’s a lot of recurring level themes in platform games. What isn’t one, but should be? (36:23)

6: Is there a future for professional video game journalism? (43:31)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Arcade Of Our Own (52:46)

Recommendations and Outro (01:06:22):

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Podcaster, Essayist and Voice Actor Alex Fraioli joins the panel to cover the Ocarina of Time remake, barcade preferences, and keyblade nonsense.

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

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SHOW NOTES:

1: Brandon Sheffield asks, what is the most fun you’ve had with a game on a gimmick-based platform? (09:36)

2: How did you see video games evolve socially over time? (14:51)

3: Which video games do you associate with specific cities? (20:39)

4: What should we anticipate from this recently announced Kingdom Hearts anime? (24:42)

5: The 1000-Year Old Man asks, what is the Mt. Fuji of video games? (34:20)

6: Where is the uncanny valley? (40:38)

7: What do you think is the hardest job in voice acting? (44:24)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Lorre Not Lorre (48:44)

Recommendations and Outro (01:00:18):

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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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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

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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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

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):

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

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