The Pitch

Who can be sure what a baby snake would grow up to? Would it grow a face? Would its spear become a part of its body? So snuff out the fireplace, sonny, lest you invite doom.

Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross cram-jam Super Mario Galaxy.

3D Mario is a tricky thing. Though Mario 64 forged a path, it arrived at a different feeling and flow than we were used to in our 2D Mario games. Over a couple of iterations, it feels like Nintendo finally arrived at the apotheosis of SM64-style play... and then they promptly abandoned it. So, let's take a close look at this weirdo entry in gaming's most established series.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Links:

• Tim Curry is escaping to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism. - YouTube
• Older - They Might Be Giants (best, official video) - YouTube
• Super Mario 128 Gameplay Video - YouTube
• Mario Galaxy Review - YouTube
• Never Forget Scrappy Doo - YouTube

Listen, sometimes life gets you down. Especially when you think of all those wasted tears. That's why we bring you the Mope-Ped.

Nobody has ever used these things in a campaign, and I wouldn't believe you if you contradicted me.

Kris and Kole talk about opiates, justice, and excess.

ALSO: Improving your experience. A maker society. Toddler generals and existential fishing stories. Arrest my toddler. Solid gold toilet. Congressman Teddy Ruxpin eats his foot.

It's an also-ran on the level of Sparkster and Bubsy, an attempt to cash in on the mascot craze with the ugliest hero imaginable. It's Aero, the Acrobatic Bat.

You happen into a clearing and discover a small, pearlescent egg. This isn't an episode of Abject Suffering, but your world is about to change forever.

Links:

• Elemental, Air Kin (Monstrous Manual) — Three months after conception, the sylph lays a pearly egg in a special nest, and summons an air elemental to guard it.

Gary Butterfield, Kole Ross, and James Carter talk about Irithyll Dungeon and the Profaned Capital.

• Cane and Rinse

• Retrofit

• Big Red Potion

• Richard's Excellent Youtube Series

• Midnight Resistance

• Patrick Moore...omg

• Storm King

• Not mentioned in the show, but here's another take on Seig that Gary likes but disagrees with

• The post where Sean references Seig a lot

• Gary's essay on DS3 NPCs

• King Under the Mountain

This week, the Comrades explore two extremes: Factorio, which is a crunch crafting, optimization, and survival game... and Abzu, which is a serene exploration game with ThatGameCompany DNA.

Kole, Ben, and Jala talk about Mad Max, the game judgin' algorithm, and we ask you why you play games.

• Algorithm might detect whether or not a game is good.

• Followup on Steam reviews.

• Valve delists game after developer subpoenas for player information.

• Berserk and the Band of the Hawk gets a release date.

• South Park delayed.

• Why do you play games?

• Ben: Mad Max. Rocket League Rumble.

• Jala: Steins;Gate.

• Jackbox 2. Obduction. Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice