It’s been a busy two weeks! Sam went to Gamescom, Opening Night Live revealed a bunch of games, and Jake has become a fighting game fan!? The boys break down everything they’ve played, every major headline, and the hottest Gamescom titles from the past two weeks.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping (Sam’s Non-Gaming European Takes) |

00:09:58 - Long vs. Short Games (2025 Update) |

00:14:50 - Sam’s Pre-Gamescom Cologne Experience |

00:18:04 - Opening Night Live 2025 Discussion |

00:28:18 - Sam Went to Gamescom 2025 And Played Some Games (Kirby Air Riders, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide, Crimson Desert, Deadpool VR, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Super Meat Boy 3D) |

00:55:22 - Headline Crash Course (Silksong’s Release Date, PS5 Prices Raised, Contraband Cancelled, BioShock 4 Updates, Pete Parsons Leaves Bungie, Forza Horizon 6 Location Leaked?) |

1:05:53 - What We’ve Been Playing (Battlefield 6, Overwatch 2, Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Doom, Street Fighter 6) |

1:16:40 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Sword of the Sea) |

1:18:07 - Watch, Listen (MOVIES: Weapons, High and Low, Ponyo | TV: Alien: Earth | MUSIC: Chance the Rapper - Star Line, Dijon - Baby, Joey Valence & Brae - HYPERYOUTH, Ninajirachi - I Love My Computer, Nourished by Time - The Passionate Ones)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Do you miss your favorite franchise? Do you wish you could play a new entry? Fortunately for you, no IP truly ever dies because if you wait long enough, your favorite franchise will be rebooted. The brothers chat about all things “reboot” - what constitutes a reboot, the most successful examples, which ones are on the way, and their own pitches for a franchise reboot.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping |

00:10:38 - How to Reboot a Franchise |

01:08:37 - Rotating Segment: Mad Mags: Fury Read (Nintendo Power, Issue 135: Waluigi’s Debut in Mario Tennis) |

01:12:25 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (Silent Hill f, Mafia: The Old Country) |

1:14:41 - Game, Watch, Listen (MOVIES: The Naked Gun | MUSIC: Chappell Roan - The Subway, JID - God Does Like Ugly)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

The boys return to their video game club to discuss 2024’s Game of the Year, Astro Bot. They break down the game’s best levels, whether its PlayStation DNA is a boon or a burden, and how it stacks up against the best 3D platformers.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro (NFL Preseason) |

00:04:30 - Our Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase (July 2025) Thoughts

00:11:16 - Battlefield 6 Thoughts

00:18:35 - Astro Bot Review |

00:32:52 - Our Favorite Astro Bot Levels |

00:40:57 - SPOILERS: The PlayStation Crossovers + How Important Is PlayStation to Astro Bot? |

00:57:10 - How’s The Hub World?

01:02:45 - How Are The Bosses?

01:07:27 - Challenge Levels, DLC, and Difficulty

01:11:57 - Closing Thoughts (Is Astro Bot the Best PS5 Game?)

01:14:35 - Shelf Space (Our Moshi Moshi Video Game Club Ranking) |

01:17:39 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (2KXO, Sword of the Sea, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, EA Sports College Football 26, Primal Planet) |

01:19:56 - Game, Watch, Listen (GAMES: Pokémon Scarlet, Tetris Effect | TV: Squid Game, South Park | MOVIES: Vertigo, The Fantastic Four: First Steps | MUSIC: Tyler, The Creator - Don’t Tap the Glass)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Despite Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us ending a few months ago, the boys still have the show on their minds. What magic was it able to capture from the game? What did the show fail to translate in its adaptation? Can you make a good show based on a game where a teenage girl shoots hundreds of people? They do their best to answer these questions and more! They also apologize for any dog barking or block-party music.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping |

00:13:50 - The Last of Us Season 2 Review |

01:02:58 - Rotating Segment: Game of the Week of the Year (2012) |

01:08:37 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (Primal Planet, Sword of the Sea, Metal Eden, Shadow Labyrinth, Donkey Kong Bananza, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4) |

1:10:04 - Game, Watch, Listen (GAMES: Super Meat Boy, Split Fiction | TV: Dept. Q | BOOKS: Project Hail Mary, The Relentless Legion, Dead Money | MOVIES: Superman | MUSIC: Clipse - Let God Sort ‘Em Out)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

The first new Mario Kart in 11 years is here, and the brothers have a LOT to say about it. They discuss Mario Kart World’s major additions, including the interconnected Grand Prix cups, the intense Knockout Tour, and the open-world Free Roam.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping |

00:02:30 - Main Topic: Mario Kart World Review (Overall Thoughts) |

00:09:41 - Main Topic: Mario Kart World Review (Grand Prix Impressions and Favorite Tracks) |

00:20:24 - Main Topic: Mario Kart World Review (Knockout Tour Impressions) |

00:24:54 - Main Topic: Mario Kart World Review (Free Roam Impressions) |

00:43:09 - Rotating Segment: Rental Roundup (Mirror’s Edge) |

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

After years of anticipation, the brothers finally have their hands on the Nintendo Switch 2. How does it compare to the original Switch? Are they happy with the “feel” of the hardware? Who is the console even for? They answer all of this and more in their review of Nintendo’s big new console-handheld hybrid. On a side note, Jake personally apologizes for every time Murphy barks. He’s our biggest fan.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping (Is Marathon Doomed?) |

00:09:21 - Main Topic: Nintendo Switch 2 Review |

00:49:09 - Rotating Segment: Rotten or Fresh Movie Games (F1 & F1 2014) |

00:53:16 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, Demonschool, Mixtape, Morsels, BALL x PIT, Rematch, Shadow Labyrinth, Lies of P: Overture, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach) |

00:57:11 - Game, Watch, Listen (GAMES: Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon | MOVIES: 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later | MUSIC: Clipse - Ace Trumpets, McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!, Little Simz - Lotus)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Not-E3 is here! Hot off the heels of the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, the boys sit down to record their reviews of June’s three big presentations: Xbox’s show, Summer Game Fest, and PlayStation’s State of Play. They discuss why this was a good but not great year, what the announcements mean for 2025 as a whole, and their favorite trailers, including Clockwork Revolution, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and Super Meat Boy 3D.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping (Jake Got His Switch 2!) |

00:10:52 - Main Topic: 2025 Summer Showcases Review |

1:24:03 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (Lumines Arise, The Midnight Walk, Elden Ring: Nightreign, Mario Kart World)

1:25:07 - Game, Watch, Listen (GAMES: Sea of Thieves, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | MOVIES: Bring Her Back, The Iron Giant | TV: The Studio | MUSIC: Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild, Natalia Lafourcade - Cancionera)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Geoff Keighley Summer is about to begin, so Jake and Sam make their predictions for the showcase season, from Summer Game Fest to the Xbox Games Showcase. Will Nintendo or PlayStation announce anything? Will Bioshock 4 finally be announced? The brothers give their best guesses!

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping (Important Show News!!!) |

00:13:00 - Main Topic: 2025 Summer Showcase Predictions |

00:53:40 -Rotating Segment: Ken Burns Presents (Kingdom Hearts) |

1:07:30 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner

1:08:30 - Game, Watch, Listen (GAMES: Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Split Fiction | MOVIES: The Firm, Lilo & Stitch | TV: Andor | MUSIC: PinkPantheress - Fancy That, Evil Does Not Exist Soundtrack)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Jake and Sam take a break from contemporary news this week to look back at toys-to-life games. Why were they a hit? Why did they fizzle out so quickly? Could we ever see a toys-to-life revival? The boys break down everything from the heavy hitters (Skylanders, Disney Infinity, LEGO Dimensions) to the weirdos (Starlink, Telepods, Sick Bricks) to Amiibo, which is still doing its thing.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping (Switch 2 Pre-order Check-in) |

00:05:24 - Jade Raymond Departs Fairgames Studio (RIP $) |

00:10:00 - Main Topic: Toys-to-Life Games Retrospective |

1:01:44 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (EA Sports College Football 26, Doom: The Dark Ages)

1:02:14 - Game, Watch, Listen (GAMES: South of Midnight, Split Fiction | MOVIES: Mufasa: The Lion King, Thunderbolts* | MUSIC: Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk | TV: Andor, The Studio

The Righteous Gemstones)

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

The past few weeks have been very busy, so the brothers take an opportunity to breathe and catch up. From GTA VI to Polygon’s sale, the boys chat through everything they’ve missed. NOTE: This was recorded prior to Giant Bomb going independent. Jake is very happy for them.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping |

00:05:25 - GTA VI Delay & New Trailer |

00:19:37 - Polygon Sale & Giant Bomb Upheaval |

00:37:11 - Microsoft Raises Xbox Prices |

00:42:37 - PlayStation Announces teamLFG |

00:51:44 - Most Anticipated Games for 2025 |

00:58:47 - Draft Day Starring Kevin Costner (The Midnight Walk) |

00:59:12 - Rotating Segment: Yoshi’s Topsy-Turvy Trivia |

Shoutout to Mizuki Kuroiwa for the incredible podcast artwork and to Thomniverse Remix for the music.

Send any questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. Thanks for listening!