The Midnight Release

Nintendo has been shaping the gaming world for generations, and its next chapter is just getting started.

With the release of the Ocarina of Time remake, we're taking a look back at the games, characters, consoles, and memories that helped make Nintendo one of the most iconic names in gaming.

We kick things off with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — revisiting the original 1998 classic, discussing its lasting influence, and looking at what a modern remake brings to one of gaming's most beloved adventures. Does the original still hold up? What should a remake preserve? And can you really improve on a legend?

From there, we're diving into the Nintendo universe, including Mario, Pokémon, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Animal Crossing, and Super Smash Bros. We'll talk about the franchises we've loved most, the ones that deserve more attention, and what makes Nintendo's approach to gaming so different from PlayStation and Xbox.

We'll also take a trip through Nintendo hardware history, from the NES and SNES to the N64, GameCube, Wii, Game Boy family, DS, Switch, and the arrival of Switch 2. It's a look at the consoles that introduced us to new worlds, changed how we played, and created memories that have lasted a lifetime.

And of course, we'll look ahead. Which Nintendo franchises deserve a new entry? What do we want to see from Switch 2? And which classic deserves the next big remake?

Some songs do more than fill the silence. They take us back to another time, reconnect us with people and places we've lost touch with, and bring feelings to the surface that we don't always know how to explain.

In this episode of Midnight Reflections, Chase explores the connection between music, memory, nostalgia, and emotion. From the songs that make us feel invincible to the ones that leave us reflecting on the people we've loved and the lives we've lived, we explore why something as simple as hearing a familiar melody can unlock so much.

Featuring music from Linkin Park, Hans Zimmer, Bette Midler, Seether, a-ha, and more, this is a reflection on the songs that become part of our personal soundtracks—and the memories and feelings they carry with them.

Because sometimes, we don't miss the past as much as we miss who we were when we lived it.

And sometimes, you don't have to explain a feeling to know that it's real.

Though some memories are worth lining up for; others we just have to sit and reflect on.

One year. 52+ episodes. Countless memories.

We made it to the one-year mark of The Midnight Release, and before we hit the next chapter, we're taking a look back at the games, movies, shows, debates, and personal memories that got us here.

From our first trip back to the glory days of GameStop to console wars, Saturday morning cartoons, LAN parties, trading cards, movie trilogies, Disney classics, Dragon Ball, modern anime, and the stores we grew up in, we're revisiting the conversations that helped shape our first year. We'll look back at the episodes that made us laugh, brought back old memories, sparked debates, and reminded us why we started this in the first place.

But this isn't just a retrospective. It's also the beginning of Season Two!

We're making a few changes to the release schedule, moving to full episodes every other week, with Midnight Reflections filling the weeks in between. We'll still show up for the big moments, from gaming showcases to conventions and awards shows, whenever there's something worth talking about.

Thank you for listening, sharing your memories, and being part of this journey with us. Year One was just the beginning, and we've got plenty more nostalgia left to unpack.

Here's to another year of games, movies, memories, and conversations worth having.

Because some memories are worth lining up for.

Remember when shopping was an event? When a trip to the mall could eat up an entire afternoon, browsing GameStop was half the fun, and finding something unexpected was part of the experience?

This week on The Midnight Release, we're revisiting the golden age of the shopping trip. We're going back to the GameStop days of used games, trade-ins, preorders, midnight releases, Game Informer, and the memories of working behind the counter. Then we're remembering the stores that shaped our childhoods and young adulthood — Circuit City, Toys “R” Us, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, KB Toys, and more.

We're also taking a Louisville detour to remember local favorites and familiar stops like Bacon's, Shillito's, the Galleria, River Falls Mall, ear X-tacy, and the stores we used to find at our favorite malls.

How did we go from shopping as a destination to shopping as a convenience? We'll trace the rise of online shopping, Amazon, digital games, smartphones, and streaming — and talk about what we gained, what we lost, and why browsing a store used to feel like an experience all on its own.

For our Power Cycle, we're pulling up memories of HHGregg, Suncoast Video, and Toys “R” Us Pokémon tournaments. Then, in CheckPoint Chat, we're catching up on the latest announcements from New York Comic Con, including Marvel, Naruto, Final Fantasy VII, Crystal Lake, and Dragon Ball.

We didn't just lose stores. We lost the ritual of shopping.

Because some memories are worth lining up for.

Anime has gone from a niche interest to a worldwide pop culture phenomenon — and we're breaking down how it happened!

This week on The Midnight Release, we're looking back at the modern anime boom, from early 2010s hits like Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan, and One-Punch Man to the explosion of My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen. We'll explore the new wave of series like Solo Leveling, Kaiju No. 8, Dandadan, and The Apothecary Diaries, and discuss how anime became a much bigger part of the mainstream conversation.

We're also diving into anime video games, from the legendary Dragon Ball and Naruto franchises to adaptations of Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and more.

Then it's time for our Side Quests! Disc of the Day is all about our favorite, most memorable anime games, while Now Loading challenges us to pick our own Big Three of modern anime.

Whether you've been watching for decades or just found your next obsession, we're talking about the shows, games, and memories that helped anime take over.

Because some memories are worth lining up for.

This week, we’re diving headfirst into one of gaming’s broadest — and most confusing — genres. We break down the difference between Action, Action-Adventure, Action RPGs, and RPGs with action elements, and ask the simplest question we can: Does what YOU do matter more, or does what YOUR CHARACTER can do matter more?

From Mortal Kombat, Doom, Sonic, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, GoldenEye, Metal Gear Solid, and Ocarina of Time in the '90s to GTA III, Halo, Devil May Cry, God of War, Resident Evil 4, Gears of War, and Batman: Arkham Asylum in the 2000s, we trace how the action genre evolved.

Then things get REALLY blurry.

Dark Souls, The Last of Us, GTA V, Doom, God of War, Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, Elden Ring, Sifu, Stellar Blade, Astro Bot, Ghost of Yotei, and Crimson Desert all fit somewhere under the enormous “action” umbrella — but how much do they actually have in common?

Plus, we break down where games like Elden Ring, Kingdom Hearts, Diablo, The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Mass Effect, Fallout, Starfield, and Dragon Age fit on the spectrum.

And, of course, we're bringing back the usual side quests:

🎮 Loadout: Build your ultimate action hero with a melee weapon, ranged weapon, special ability, vehicle, and action-game ally.

🕹️ Split Screen: Then vs. now — comparing action games of the '90s to the games we play today.

So grab your controller, sharpen your reflexes, and prepare for a genre classification crisis.

Because some memories are worth lining up for.

For generations, Disney has been more than movies. It’s been songs, characters, video games, VHS tapes, toys, theme parks, and memories that somehow stick with us long after the credits roll.

This week on The Midnight Release, Chase and Austin take a trip through the world of Disney and revisit the films that helped shape generations of fans. From Snow White, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book to the Disney Renaissance classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, and Tarzan, we look at the movies, characters, songs, and cultural moments that made Disney such a lasting part of childhood.

Then we move into the 2000s and beyond with movies like Lilo & Stitch, The Emperor’s New Groove, Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Moana, Encanto, and more—including the Pixar films that became just as important to our childhood memories.

We also take a look at the Disney empire itself, from Pixar and Marvel to Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox, while keeping our focus where it belongs: the Disney memories that brought us here.

And of course, we can't talk about Disney without talking about the games. From The Lion King and Aladdin to Kingdom Hearts, Disney Infinity, and Disney Dreamlight Valley, we revisit the games that let us step inside these worlds ourselves.

Then it's time for Now Loading, where we put our favorite Disney movies head-to-head in a bracket challenge, before diving into our Disney gaming memories with Disc of the Day.

No Marvel. No Star Wars. Just Disney.

Because some memories are worth lining up for.

The Console Wars never really ended — they just got a whole lot more complicated.

This week on The Midnight Release, Chase and Austin leave the nostalgia behind and look at the modern Console Wars. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC gaming, handheld PCs, PlayStation Portal, and the ever-growing world of portable gaming all enter the battlefield.

We break down what actually makes a platform worth owning today, from performance and frame rates to price, accessibility, exclusives, ecosystems, portability, and the increasingly blurry line between consoles and PC. We also dive into the infamous “PC Master Race” briefly to debate and ask what the next generation of gaming hardware could even look like.

Then, in Loadout, we build the ultimate modern night-in setup — from the game we're playing to the food and drink we'd pair with it. And in Patch Notes, we look ahead at what's coming to The Midnight Release, including our upcoming Disney-focused episode, Game Awards coverage, Louisville nostalgia, Naruto, action games, anime, Star Wars, Fast & Furious, and more.

War has changed. The question is: what does “winning” the Console Wars even mean anymore?

Because some memories are worth lining up for.

Remember when the weekend actually felt like an event?

Before smartphones, constant notifications, streaming, and social media followed us everywhere, weekends had a different kind of freedom. You disappeared for hours, met up with friends, wandered around town, played games until sunrise, and somehow always found something to do.

In this episode of The Midnight Release, Chase and Austin take a more personal trip down memory lane, talking about the weekends that shaped their childhood, friendships, and young adulthood.

From mall memories, Halo 2 LAN parties, skateboarding and late-night adventures to big-screen gaming, board game nights, Derby weekends, house parties, gaming tournaments, work weekends, Blockbuster runs, school events, and the simple freedom of growing up before everyone had a phone in their pocket.

We'll also look at some of the things that made weekends feel special—and how much of that has changed.

Then it's time for Now Loading, where we settle one of childhood's great television battles: Nickelodeon vs. Disney Channel vs. Cartoon Network.

Sometimes the best memories weren't the big events.

They were just weekends.

Press Start.

Dragon Ball didn't just become something we watched — for a lot of us, it became part of who we were.

In this episode of The Midnight Release, we're going all in on Dragon Ball — from discovering Dragon Ball Z on Toonami and the legendary Bruce Faulconer soundtrack to fan websites, early internet culture, video games, card games, movies, and the memories that followed us into adulthood.

We talk about how Dragon Ball grew from something we watched after school into a massive part of gaming and pop culture, and where the franchise could go next.

Then we put our Dragon Ball knowledge to the test with a blind ranking of the greatest Dragon Ball fights, before looking toward the future of the franchise.

Whether you grew up waiting for the next episode of DBZ, spent hours playing Budokai, collected cards, or simply remember hearing that iconic music when Toonami came on — this one's for you.

Press Start.