Ep. 356 - Zeus's Mistress, with ThorHighHeels

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Ep. 356 - Zeus’s Mistress, with ThorHighHeels

Video essayist and composer ThorHighHeels joins video game historian Frank Cifaldi to answer questions about the Dreamcast’s legacy, the PS5 Pro, and penis worms. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi and ThorHighHeels. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

Question 1: What does the Dreamcast represent? (02:04)

Question 2: Is it ever worth getting the Pro version of a console? (07:28)

Question 3: When in your experience have recent video games been most nakedly attempting to generate a meme? (12:56)

Question 4: What happened to everybody that was making browser flash games? (17:09)

Question 5: Which phylum in the animal kingdom has the best monster design? (18:38)

(Content warning: most of these are links to types of worms)

Question 6: Psynuxie asks, what is the “George R. R. Martin should just hire a ghost writer to finish the series” of video games? (21:50)

Question 7: Ayla asks, what is the most specifically personalized video game recommendation you’ve offered to someone? (28:06)

Question 8: LeFish asks, what game would be most improved with the addition of Satan? (32:46)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Guess the Top 10 Vtubers (35:25)

Recommendations and Outro (42:05):

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some more good game names what got swears in 'em:

  • Run Like Hell
  • Last of Ass
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“We do have Penis Worms.” - @Jaffe

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The ONLY instance in which I like Metal Gear for this would be if Konami released a new edition of Metal Gear Solid V where they just finished the last chapter. MGSV famously ended on a huge cliffhanger and the only way to see the true ending of the game is as an unfinished cutscene on a bonus disc included with the collector’s edition. I don’t think Konami would ever be cool enough to invite Kojima to oversee completion of the last mission or even if Kojima would want to do that, but as long as they’re able to finish that last cutscene so we can actually experience the catharsis of it at the end of the game, I could probably forgive a lot of sins with the execution of the final boss. Other than that specific example, I think most fans of the series are savvy enough to understand that a new entry would never recapture the vibes they liked in the old games as much as any new original project Kojima would be making himself.

Actually, having played Haunted Castle Revisited, I think my answer would be hiring M2 to make more new Castlevania games. We all miss the Igarashi era of the series but Castlevania was just fine before he came along, it can be good again without him, and if you really want his specific brand of gothic horror action I’m sure he’ll still be making new Bloodstained games.

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A bit relieved to learn that the penis worm’s name refers to its shape and not its point of ingress.

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I don’t disapprove of Frank’s answer about the Dreamcast, but I feel like he shifted the question from what the Dreamcast represents to whether the Dreamcast is relevant. I think those are two different (if interesting) tracks of thought.

What does the Dreamcast represent? We recently had the 25th anniversary post. It represents, in part, exactly what Frank is saying: lost relevance. We briefly had and lost something with the Dreamcast, a fork in gaming history where we followed the bend left, and then gaming itself veered right. The Dreamcast represents the underdog with genuine charm and potential. It represents the idiosyncratic experience, that not-quite-a-generational swerve that does not fit the dominant narratives of PS1 to PS2 or Xbox, N64 to Gamecube, or early 2000s PC RTS to MMO. In the ways that people keep returning to it with nostalgia and surprise, it represents a third space of gameplaying.

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Handhelds definitely have an advantage in terms of mid-gen refreshes, but I think there’s also a case to be made for the Top-loading NES that actually plays games on the first try and doesn’t have sharp corners on the controller.

I also really love the “New 3DS” with the eye-tracking. That was such a nice upgrade.

To answer the question as asked, I think buying a mid-gen refresh makes sense if you waited and it’s your first Xbox One or whatever. Why not get the One X?

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“who’s it going to hurt if david cage got Shenmue IV?” me, frank. It will hurt me

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dreamcast was the psx pro

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I know it wasn’t but doesn’t sound like it should?

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unfortunately my first thought about meme baiting was when both ffvii rebirth and infinite wealth had segways in their trailers.

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good episode. i love the full gang, i love the full gang and guests, but this one had a chilled energy that realy worked for me today! great job everybody.

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VIDEO GAME HISTORY FOUNDATION DIRECTOR SAYS “CULTURE DOESN’T MATTER”
And this is why he’s right

gamers r us dot com

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The current version of Mario’s tribal tattoos on the Game Boy Advance is getting Harry Potter tattoos removed from your modern console

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This episode made me laugh outloud several times, great episode.

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OK, the swears in a title question is the perfect opportunity to present the following, which I have debated to post on many joke threads but have then found my better judgment:

The Last of Us Ream Ass Turd

It’s funnier to dunk on The Last of Us, but we could really optimize this for Ass with:

Ass Ass in’s Creed III -

Ream Ass Turd

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Sounds like I should’ve been in this episode

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Love the hangout episodes and love Thor. Makes me think that Hazel would be a good guest on the podcast.

The first Gameboy Advance that I got was the SP AGS-101 (the cute pikachu face one!) so going back to the original model for a Pokemon trade was definitely an adjustment. However, the dimmer screen is much better for playing while outside.

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podcast got me watching king of the hill, uh, thanks?!?

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