FFXIV is full of bangers - Masayoshi Soken has been touched by the gods and is sharing his blessing with this wretched world
Void Stranger
Zero Ranger
1000xResist
Celeste
Scarlet Nexus
I guarantee there’s more but I can’t think of it and I only recently started playing video games more frequently again.
In general I’ve been trying to reduce my dismissal of new media and saying stuff like they don’t make 'em like they used to or any variation of sentences starting with kids these days… And I don’t think that’s where Jaffe wanted to go with this but actually wanted the panelists to fervently argue for their contemporary faves, btw!
It’s just a trend I’ve noticed in my social group. My brothers are twelve and thirteen years older than me - in their mid to late forties - and slowly earning their right to be grumpy about media these days, I just preferred if they wouldn’t lean into it so much. But I’m noticing a lot of my late 20s early 30s friends also talking like that and I personally just am really tired of that. It’s alright to like what you liked in your childhood, I do too! But either be positive about that and/or curious about the new stuff instead of dumping on the youth. There’s still some really good stuff out there it’s just not served to us on a platter anymore - if it ever was. Sorry for the rant, I’m just trying to fight against this amorphous air of tired negativity that’s surrounding me in particular recently, trying to advocate for constructive positivity.
Great episode! I love that Ash is now a permanent panel member!
I also want to express my general gratitude for this show, its members and community. You’re doing a good job. From hosting, to editing, to panelist…ing!
P.S.: I hate to admit it but I kinda love let’s reach our hand into the question hole.
Hyped for Ash to be a main host as I always enjoyed when they were a guest, and I love their writing. They tend to have fairly opposite opinions on games from me but the way they write or talk about those feelings is always interesting and enriching. So I’m excited to get more of that from the show.
Chrono Trigger taught an 11/12 year old me about what would happen to those I leave behind. I knew about death, had already had grandparents pass away when I was younger. But playing that game and hitting the point where the party continues on after the incident made me aware of how my own exit might impact others in a way no other media had. The act of inhabiting the other characters as they grappled with what happened, how it shouldn’t have happened, and how some of them can’t move on, they just have to move forward with it left a lasting impact on me. So as a kid grappling mental health issues around that time it made me really think about what problems I would leave to those I cared about if I made a rash decision.
And to make a drastic tonal shift - Super Mario Odyssey - Jump Up, Super Star. A really delightful moment in that game and absolutely memorable.
I think the Tri-force tattoo can be considered a character tattoo if specifically one of the Tri-force is brighter than the other two, like Link in Ocarina of Time. But instead of art of the character, you are become the character
As a young white kid in suburbia with a cop uncle, EarthBound set me on the course to understanding that cops suck. Among many other things too of course but mostly this
Tbh, while Tim’s solo content is good, Ash is SO much better as a podcast guest. She knows how to be sincere and hilarious at the same time without being mean. VERY EXCITED for this new era!!
Didn’t hear the whole episode yet, but I would like to wholeheartedly thank Brandon for sharing his life and for keeping doing this even when dealing with all that. I’m really proud be part of this community.
I’m not from the US, but what happens there really affects us all. We in Brazil heard the name “Bolsonaro” a lot more this week since the US elections (he’s our former right wing president and ended up being ineligible because tried a coup very much akin to the US Jan 6).
Oh, and a very warm welcome to Ash! Can’t wait to hear the rest of the episode.
Great episode, thanks to all for great questions, great lightning round, great new panelist with @adashtra and great new f-bombs left, right and centre! I laughed way to hard when the kind of f*****g had to “Added to the spreadsheet”. Oh the answer to questions two and six is Tunic, which I kinda hoped would be the answer for question four as well.
There was a very positive feeling listening to this episode, even with what must have been a difficult introduction not just to say but also share. Thank you for your honesty and openness Brandon in what has been happening for you and the people around you.
I forgot to write about this here last time Brandon mentioned it, but as someone who often gets stuck at “obvious” parts of video games, my advice is to use a video longplay/streamed play-through in those situations. If you watch a video of someone, you necessarily will be shown how to do even overlooked parts of the game.
Now of course, this applies less to menu-based games where someone might not be doing exactly the thing you want to do, but if the game has some linear progression and you’re stuck at a part everyone has to do, then it works well.
Also thank you to Ash for mentioning Shoji Meguro in the “good video game music from the past 10 years” question. That man does not stop producing bangers, and his work in Persona 5 (2016), Persona 5 Royal (2019) and Persona 3 Reload (2024) has been amazing. Also shout out to Atsushi Kitajoh who arranged and composed songs on the P3R soundtrack too which have been stellar.
