The Stage Select

Hello. It’s a pretty short (for us) show this week. Even shorter if you’re tired of hearing Julian talk about Persona 3. But it’s an episode. You can listen to it with your ears.

00:00 Introduction, WWE music, announcement

11:40 Julian beat Balatro, and you all suck at video games, Suikoden HD Remaster

30:42 Julian’s week (feel free to skip to the next bit)

52:55 Justin has turned the corner on WWE 2K25

01:31:33 Julian’s final thoughts on Persona 3 Reload, FINALLY.

Check out Justin on A Gamer Looks at 40! https://agamerlooksatforty.buzzsprout.com/1426576/episodes/16722479-ep-127-final-fantasy-7-part-9-the-birth-of-a-fandom-w-justin-hamm

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

Hello again. This week we only have a few games to talk about, but we had a lot to say about them.

00:00 Introduction, remembering Michelle Trachtenberg, big announcements

29:36 Lost Records: Bloom and Rage (Tape 1)

01:12:12 WWE 2K25

02:05:07 Balatro

02:20:01 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

At last! You hear him announce our hosts each and every week, but finally, friend of the show John Gholson sits down to talk to us about…all sorts of things! You never know what you’re going to expect with The Stage Select, and this episode has everything from the woes of becoming a full-time actor, cold poutine, and Justin’s incredible restraint when it comes to the Shasta McNasty button!

00:00 Introduction, announcements

08:07 Getting to know John Gholson

30:45 What John’s been playing (Avowed, Star Trek Legends, Balatro, Vampire: The Masquerade visual novels)

01:03:55 Julian’s crazy week, remembering retail hell

01:38:33 Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

01:52:33 5 questions with John Gholson

02:10:39 The closing of Monolith

02:38:21 CQC: Comments, Questions, Concerns

Go check out Soundtracker on Patreon and support them if you

can! https://www.patreon.com/c/soundtracker/posts

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

It’s a shorter show again this week, as life really got in the way for one of our hosts, and SOMEone can’t stop modding Skyrim! The show’s gonna be a little weird(er) for a few weeks, so please bear with us!

00:00 Introduction, announcements, big life change for Julian

21:55 EVEN MORE (but not that much) Skyrim modding, Avowed

57:38 Evaluating the Final Fantasy Magic: The Gathering set

01:13:02 Trails in the Sky and Falcom’s approach to development, Julian’s condemnation of Persona 3’s cast

01:39:11 An update on Julian’s Berserk journey

01:45:37 Comments, Questions, Concerns (CQC)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

I’m not gonna lie…this episode was almost a little over an hour. Thankfully, Sony had a State of Play this week, so we had plenty to talk about with that! Man, I can’t wait for some big games to drop…

00:00 When the internet goes out, obscure anime, shelving Banishers, Persona 3 Reload, Dragon Quest III HD

30:09 Justin’s Skyrim modding addiction persists

01:05:45 At least we have the Sony State of Play to talk about!

02:11:42 Comments, Questions, Concerns (CQC)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

Well, we like to say that you never know what to expect each week on The Stage Select, because sometimes not even we know what to expect! This week, we mostly catch up on the games we played during the season break, and wrap up by answering some of your questions that built up while we were gone. Enjoy this very loose show!

00:00 Introduction

17:16 What Justin got up to over the break: Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur’s Gate 3, modding Skyrim

01:25:32 What Julian got up to over the break: Sexbot, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

01:51:17 Dynasty Warriors Origins, The Sims Legacy Collection, Berserk, Paradise

02:23:51 CQC: Comments, Questions, Concerns

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show,

and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

SEASON PREMIERE! It’s been six weeks since Julian and Justin got together to record The Stage Select, and we thought there was no better way to kick things off than to talk about our personal top ten lists from 2024. Sure, our game of the year deliberations had us put together a communal list, but our individual ones look quite different. It’s also time to check in on the staff at The Stage Select studio to see how they’ve been getting on during the break. It’s great to be back!

00:00 Introduction, NANOMACHINES, SON, announcements

12:44 Personal Top 10s: 10-7, checking in on Abramo

01:15:46 Personal Top 10s: 6-4, thanking patrons

01:56:30 Personal Top 10s: 3-2, checking in on Richard Harden, Private Detective

02:28:00 Honorable mentions

03:10:09 Checking in on Bing Bing, God of the Loom, revealing our number 1s

A Gamer Looks at 40 is back, with their Final Fantasy VII

series: https://agamerlooksatforty.buzzsprout.com/

Please check out the new RetroFits YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroFitsShow

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show,

and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

Hey there, folks. Well, it was a good run, but Julian and Justin have gone their separate ways, and it's time for something new. Julian is striking out on his own with a one man show.

This surely won't be a terrible idea at all.

Now that the dust has settled on the 2024 game of the year deliberations, Julian thought it would be fun to take a look back at the silly bits and skits that ran during the first season of The Stage Select. Consider this a kind of behind the scenes look at how some of these dumb things were created. You may start to understand the workings of Julian’s addled brain!

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show,

and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Theme song lyrics:

What could this possibly be?

Seems a lot like a podcast…

Wonder what specifically?

Talkin’ bout video games,

With your hosts, you’re in good hands.

Not more of the same!

Now we’ll jump right in,

So expect the unexpected and more.  

Now we’ll get groovin,’

Never know who’s gonna walk through the door!

There just might be some treasure in this chest,

Having fun with our special guests,

Time for Stage Select!

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions

And lo, the final seal was broken, and it was time to reveal the top ten games of 2024, as decreed by The Stage Select and their special guests: Westen from Big Nerd Gaming and Xavier Kreiger! But not before we spend hours deliberating on said list!

00:00 Introduction, game of the year nominations

11:21 Beginning the cutting process

01:51:49 Cutting the final 6 games to get to a list of 10

02:59:11 Ordering the top 10, and crowning the 2024 Game of the Year

Check out Westen’s blog, Big Nerd Gaming: https://bignerdgaming.com/

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show,

and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: [email protected]

Theme song lyrics:

What could this possibly be?

Seems a lot like a podcast…

Wonder what specifically?

Talkin’ bout video games,

With your hosts, you’re in good hands.

Not more of the same!

Now we’ll jump right in,

So expect the unexpected and more.  

Now we’ll get groovin,’

Never know who’s gonna walk through the door!

There just might be some treasure in this chest,

Having fun with our special guests,

Time for Stage Select!

Copyright 2024 Space Monkey Mafia Productions