Game Scoop! 849: Look How They Massacred My Girl

Summary

Game Scoop! Episode 849: "Look How They Massacred My Girl" (March 20, 2026)

Hosted by Damon Hatfield, with Pear Schneider, Sam Claiborne, and Mark Medina

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Episode Overview

In episode 849 of Game Scoop!, Daemon Hatfield and the IGN crew break down some of the week’s biggest gaming topics: Nvidia’s controversial DLSS5 tech and its effect on character rendering; in-depth impressions of recent and retro games like Resident Evil Requiem, Slay the Spire 2, and Crimson Desert; and a spirited discussion on modern Metroidvanias. Lively banter, memorable jokes, and the classic “Video Game 20 Questions” round out the show, giving listeners both expert perspectives and the fun, familiar Scoop! energy.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

DLSS5: Nvidia’s AI Tech Sparks Controversy

[02:42–12:15]

• The show opens with reactions to Nvidia’s newly revealed DLSS5, an AI-powered graphical enhancement claimed to “give your video game characters completely new faces.”
• Pear shares his enthusiasm for the tech as an improvement in lighting and realism, especially for fans of visually immersive games like F1, but raises concerns about artistic vision:

  “If they are able to come up with new lighting techniques, whether AI-driven or not, that makes the track look more real, I’m all for it… but like, if this is a tool set developers can use and the artists have control over… then great.” — Pear Schneider [05:00]

• The panel jokes about AI-altered faces (“look at Sam’s edge lighting!”) but voices unease about the generic “AI look,” especially the mid-journey style that’s taken over.
• Sam points out the backlash:

  “I think the backlash has been really interesting because the same, you know, like 4chan in cells that add mods to add big boobs to every character are out here being like, ‘You changed the face!’” [08:21]

• Damon: “People don’t want generative AI in their games. And this Grace looks like they put an AI filter…” [11:52]
• The crew agrees that while DLSS5 is an impressive tool, Nvidia’s marketing misstep was altering recognizable characters’ faces—the “look how they massacred my girl” meme sums up the sentiment.

Notable Quotes

• “Don’t change Grace, man.” — Pear Schneider [12:03]
• “Leave her alone… We’ve been through hell and back together, that she is my homegirl.” — Damon Hatfield [12:09]

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Resident Evil Requiem: First Impressions & Hardcore Challenges

[12:23–18:49]

• Pear started Resident Evil Requiem at Damon’s “very polite suggestion” and shares his nostalgia and appreciation for the Resident Evil series, but admits first-person “run away” segments are less appealing as he gets older.
• The panel details tense opening sequences and the effectiveness of creepy, underpowered segments.
• Damon finished the game and immediately started a second playthrough to unlock unlimited ammo, discussing strategies for speedruns and “no heal/no crafting” challenges.
• Sam and Damon swap tips for breezing through the game on easier modes and maximizing replay value.
• Discussion also touches on the impressive spatial audio and blood effects, with Pear joking that even his dog was scared off after just a few minutes.

Notable Quotes

• “The visuals are really nice. I do wish Grace had worn a little bit more makeup.” — Pear Schneider [15:35]
• “So, Damon, you… are the cause of my dog running away too… She noped out.” — Pear Schneider [17:03]

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Slay the Spire 2: Deck-Building Roguelike Excellence

[21:47–29:29]

• Mark shares his new obsession with Slay the Spire 2, highlighting unique character builds (the Evoker, poison lady, etc.), replayability, and how strategic deck-crafting evolves with each run.
• Sam is encouraged to try it, with parallels drawn to Balatro:

  “You’re constantly adding cards to your deck, but you need to build it so you only have, like… your best cards. You want to flush out your less powerful cards as you go along.” — Damon Hatfield [26:00]

• Guide-writing anecdotes and revelations about game mechanics (like attack indicators that Mark, hilariously, had missed):

  “I did not know that that means that’s what they’re going to do next… That’s the whole thing here.” — Mark Medina [28:31]

Memorable Moment

• The “math game” and deck optimization turn the conversation into a mini-strategy session, underscoring why Slay the Spire is addictive for so many.

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Crimson Desert: A Complex, Evolving Open World

[31:48–50:00]

• Mark provides a comprehensive review-in-progress of Crimson Desert, an open-world RPG with MMO roots. He compares the exploration to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and The Witcher 3, noting:
  • Cliff (the protagonist) is weighty (“moves closer to an Arthur Morgan than Assassin’s Creed”), with combat that can pit you against up to 30 enemies at once.
  • The world is packed with things to do:

    “There is something around every corner... it makes it where you never progress.”

  • Boss fights are likened to Elden Ring, but lack polish and balance, making them a grind rather than a highlight.
  • The game’s development is still fast-moving, with massive updates altering inventory systems and difficulty up until launch.
• Honest caveats:

  “If you play the game and you don’t like it, that’s completely valid and I get it… But if you like open world games where you can run around and do a million different things, I think you’re going to love this game.” — Mark Medina [44:46]

• Graphical fidelity and optimization on PC are praised (“one of the prettiest games you’ll ever play”), and console performance is briefly discussed.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s just the aiification of everything…” — Mark Medina [11:34] (from earlier DLSS5 discussion but ties into the Crimson Desert theme)
• “I think this game is good now. I think it’s going to be pretty good in a month, and I think in a year it’ll probably be great.” — Mark Medina [40:50]

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Modern Metroidvanias: Listener Question & Team Picks

[51:29–56:32]

• A listener asks for favorite Metroidvanias post-2010.
• Pear: Metroid Dread; Sam: Prince of Persia; Mark: Ori series (“pretty and they have really good music”); Damon: SteamWorld Dig 2.
• Various other titles discussed and debated: Animal Well, Guacamelee 2, Axiom Verge (and its sequel, controversially), Bloodstained, Dead Cells, and “Minishoot Adventures.”
• Nostalgic side discussion about Pinball Metroidvania (Yoku’s Island Express).

Notable Quotes

• “SteamWorld Dig 2 — that’s probably my favorite just traditional Metroidvania game of this time period.” — Damon Hatfield [55:38]

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Retro Watch: Virtual Boy and Predicting the Future

[57:37–61:22]

• Listener Parker from Seattle discovers that Sam “predicted” both Labo and the new Virtual Boy accessories nearly a decade ago.
• The crew jokes about Nintendo’s unexpected embrace of Virtual Boy and the challenges of playing the new accessory, with energetic banter about head- and wall-mounted game devices.

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Extracurricular Activities: TV & Movies

[62:28–71:33]

• Brief TV recommendations: Paradise Season 2, Tokyo Diner (now returning!), Drops of God (for “cultured people”), The Pit, The Rooster (new Steve Carell dramedy).
• Sam offers a glowing (spoiler-free) review of Project Hail Mary, praising its mix of scientific problem-solving (reminiscent of The Martian) and charismatic performance from Ryan Gosling.
• Discussion of author Andy Weir’s geeky roots and the clever, science-driven plotting.

Notable Quotes

• “What this movie is, it’s a big series of things that I don’t want to give away because the plot is great, but it’s a space movie about humanity going to the stars for the first time and a bunch of scary, great, thrilling action things happen.” — Sam Claiborne [67:55]

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Video Game 20 Questions: The Narc Surprise

[71:33–91:19]

• The panel struggles through a tricky round, ultimately failing to guess Narc (the 1988 Williams arcade game, NES port by Rare).
• The discussion meanders through co-op NES ports, American arcade studios, and the definition of “humanoid,” with much friendly squabbling over companies and game genres.
• Damon reveals the answer and shares the infamous “anti-drug” intro from the NES manual, the game’s digitized gore, and nostalgia for the subversive style of the arcade classic.

Notable Quotes

• “Don’t change Grace, man.” — Pear Schneider [12:03]
• “Look how they massacred my girl.” (Episode Title Reference)

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Running Jokes & Memorable Bits

• Mascara Jokes: On DLSS5 making characters look like they’re wearing mascara — “Look how they mascaraed my girl.” [94:14]
• Game Help Crew: Frequent ribbing about how most of the panel are game help guides writers and their unique (sometimes “math-y”) insights.
• Mark’s “Broken Clock” Prediction Rate: (“…a broken clock is right twice a day…” regarding Sam’s Virtual Boy prediction [58:56])
• Podcast Nostalgia: Lively chat about people re-watching old Game Scoop episodes; jokes about “watching the show in 2016 for predictions about 2026.”
• "Too Old for Metroidvania": Mark admits, “I’m too old for Metroidvanias.” [54:48], inverting the real audience demographic.

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Episode Timestamps (Key Segments)

• DLSS5 and AI Face Tech: [02:42–12:15]
• Resident Evil Requiem Impressions: [12:23–18:49]
• Slay the Spire 2 Deep Dive: [21:47–29:29]
• Crimson Desert Hands-On Review: [31:48–50:00]
• Modern Metroidvania Picks: [51:29–56:32]
• Virtual Boy Prediction & Nostalgia: [57:37–61:22]
• TV & Movies (Project Hail Mary, The Rooster, etc.): [62:28–71:33]
• Video Game 20 Questions (Narc): [71:33–91:19]

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Closing Thoughts

Game Scoop! 849 delivers a blend of industry analysis, detailed game impressions, listener interaction, and nostalgic fun. Whether you’re tuning in for the gaming deep-dives, the trivia, or the offbeat humor, it’s classic Game Scoop! — informed, opinionated, and always a blast.

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Notable Episode Title Reference:
“Look how they massacred my girl” – A meme’d lament over Nvidia’s DLSS5 alterations to beloved video game faces, setting the tone for both serious critique and affectionate ribbing throughout the episode.

Transcript

[Damon Hatfield]

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[Sam Claiborne]

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[Mark Medina]

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[Damon Hatfield]

What's up everybody? Welcome to IGN gamescoop. I'm your host, Damon Hatfield. Joining me this week here in studio is Pear Schneider.

[Pear Schneider]

Pear Scoop.

[Damon Hatfield]

We're also joined by Sam Claiborne.

[Sam Claiborne]

Hey, Happy California Summer to People that celebrate.

[Damon Hatfield]

Exactly. It is hot as heck in LA today. Mark Medina is also here.

[Mark Medina]

Scoop. There it is.

[Sam Claiborne]

There is a little bit of a difference in excitement and tone in the introduction and the acceptance.

[Mark Medina]

That was the number one comment on the last podcast. So, I mean, this is an honor of that. Okay, here's my catchphrase for one episode.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay. Temporary catchphrase. I love it. Well, we got a great show for you this week. I finished Resident Evil Requiem and pair

[Pear Schneider]

started Resident Evil Requiem because Damon asked me to.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I politely suggested that he have something about it to say for this episode.

[Sam Claiborne]

Technically, Damon also started Resident Evil Requiem again this week.

[Damon Hatfield]

That's true. That's true. I did start my second playthrough immediately. Very nice. And Mark started playing say the Spire 2 and Crimson Desert is out now. So there's all this stuff we can talk about. But first, let's talk about DLSS5 from Nvidia, which has made. Made some headlines this week.

[Mark Medina]

This is.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, I haven't heard. What. What went wrong.

[Damon Hatfield]

Surely you've heard about this by now. They have a sort of a. A trailer show showing off the latest tech. This is the AI tech that is forthcoming later this year.

[Sam Claiborne]

Will.

[Damon Hatfield]

Will apparently will give your video game characters completely new faces.

[Sam Claiborne]

Too attached.

[Pear Schneider]

I don't know. Hold on.

[Sam Claiborne]

We. Before goes into this, we need to. Here's a disclaimer that we are using DLSS5 on our faces this week. That's why we all look so vibrant. Be aware.

[Damon Hatfield]

See this glowy shoulder? You had to do the wipe. You had to do the wipe.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, man.

[Sam Claiborne]

And then I just become Grace.

[Pear Schneider]

Look at Sam's. Look at Sam's edge lighting. It's great, but it's not accurate.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, yes, exactly.

[Pear Schneider]

It's not. He should be lit by the machines. You can tell. It's.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm not wearing mascara, but you can see the mascara just, you know, come across.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's the mascara that the developers originally intended.

[Pear Schneider]

That's right.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. His frame rate's low, though.

[Sam Claiborne]

What do you put on before going to your mom's murder site?

[Pear Schneider]

I like how Sam goes, don't let Pear talk. Because he. He knew I was going to say something nice.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, you see, all I have to

[Sam Claiborne]

say is jokes about dlss. So let's have Pear say all the serious stuff and then I'll get back to my jokes.

[Pear Schneider]

I mean, the.

[Damon Hatfield]

The way old Grace.

[Pear Schneider]

First of all, the reactions are of an early demo implemented on games that are familiar to us and like, yes, Grace. Grace with the power of A green wipe turns into Jack Power's daughter. Like there's a, there's a. There's a definite difference in the face and what it looks like. And yes, you can complain that the artists vision is being altered by this tool but like it is also it is a tool. And when I look at the background in this game, it does create a more realistically lit scene from like a first, first impression. Right. And so when I'm thinking about this tech. I've played games, I'm a big Formula one fan. I've played Formula one games and they always. They still look very artificial and I crave realism in the visuals for my F1 racers and, and if they are able to come up with new lighting techniques, whether AI driven or not, that makes the track look more real. I'm all for it. Now the way they demonstrate, they just

[Sam Claiborne]

look a little tired today.

[Pear Schneider]

That's right. They will apply mascara to the race cars as well. But they demoed it like this and people obviously had a lot of reactions because yeah, the characters look different from perhaps what is intended. Like the big one in Hogwarts Legacy. There's a shot of that's clearly Max from IGN in Hogwarts Legacy. And then they apply the filter and it looks like a completely different person. Right. So to somebody returning to the game it looks very, very different. But like if this is a tool set that developers can use and the artists have control over and can say this is what I want my game to look like and they're striving to make a realistically looking.

[Mark Medina]

This is the one. There's Max. Look, that's Max. Pause it. After Magic Max gone. That is the face of a man who is pushing his mobile. Gotcha game. Like that's what that looks like.

[Pear Schneider]

There's a bit of that.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do you think it's weird that they add that same cigarette stand to the back of the Hogwarts village there too that they did in the Resident Evil.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, no, that's true. But anyway, like my, my viewpoint is it's technology that allows us that. That may. I don't know if it is gone. All right. Like we're seeing marketing stuff. Look, this is with dls. Dlss. Way more realistic. Anyway, it's a tool set. It's going to get tweaked. It's going to. If, if it could be a really impressive tool set for developers to use when they're striving for realism. Do you guys remember that GTA footage that somebody created an engine that just sort of Changed the lighting to be more realistic. Like it was a mod and people went gaga over it. Like I feel like it's got that sort of look to it as well. It's not the perfect solution for every video game. I think the developers are going to have to make the decision whether they want to enable the feature or whether they want to leverage it or not. But like from a technical perspective, getting more advanced lighting for games without the cost of bigger, beefier hardware could be a good thing.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I think the technology is interesting. I don't really have a problem with using AI to give video game characters more realistic lighting. I don't know why it would give Grace a completely different face and why that face is very clearly the AI face, the mid journey face that we've been seeing for two years.

[Pear Schneider]

I'm totally with you on that.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, yeah. They're all going to just end up looking the same.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

But you know, some artists, some video game artists have come out and said that they, that they did not approve, they did not know that this is what was happening. So we're gonna see if it's actually

[Sam Claiborne]

like everybody that participated in this are on the record saying they participated with the Nvidia upgrades.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, but, but maybe, maybe, maybe the.

[Mark Medina]

But they didn't know it would change the faces is what their issue is. Just put about out an article about it today.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, you know it. I think that backlash has been really interesting because the same, you know, like 4chan in cells that, that add mods to add big boobs to every single character in every game are out here being like, you changed the face.

[Pear Schneider]

Well, why did you change the face?

[Mark Medina]

The Starfield ones look okay because every NPC in that game is a char.

[Pear Schneider]

I was gonna say, like I, I get the argument that it introduces dead eye with some of them but like I thought the Starfield ones look good. I think FIFA's backgrounds look better like that. I, I think that looks better. There's got. There is going to be a little bit more of an uncanny Valley problem.

[Sam Claiborne]

Right.

[Pear Schneider]

When things, when the lighting is so realistic looking and they have that dead eye stare without a spark in the eyes.

[Sam Claiborne]

But look, Bethesda games already have that. I mean, you know what I mean? Like, like there's already these games that have these like dead stares that are already looking terrible.

[Pear Schneider]

Tech demo. Let's see where it goes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Mark. Wait till they come for your girl. And Stellar Blade.

[Mark Medina]

I know, well, and that's kind of what I'm saying is like, no, she's already Perfect. No, DLSS can fix her. She doesn't need to be fixed. I'm down with the like side vendors. Yeah, there she is. But yeah, I don't know. I don't know about main characters.

[Sam Claiborne]

Mark, what if you can use DLSS5 to add this character to every character and every. So you're. What's this character's name?

[Damon Hatfield]

Eve. Eve.

[Sam Claiborne]

What? If you could just make Grace Eve, Wouldn't you be happy about that?

[Mark Medina]

No, that's a mod. I don't mod games.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay, now we're not going to get anything. We're not going to get anything fun out of Mark.

[Damon Hatfield]

It would be.

[Mark Medina]

You're not going to get anything fun out of me. I'm too.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, yes, we are. Because we talk about Crimson Desert.

[Damon Hatfield]

We got.

[Sam Claiborne]

We got Mark's own third rail coming right up.

[Mark Medina]

Dang it.

[Sam Claiborne]

Switch at the station.

[Mark Medina]

I don't have any opinions on Crimson Desert.

[Damon Hatfield]

I would like to see DLSS5 what it does for something like Forza, like a racing game.

[Pear Schneider]

We're not looking at a fan. That's exactly it. That was my point. And by the way, if developers are creating the characters with that sort of engine, with that lighting in mind, it is expressing their artistic vision.

[Sam Claiborne]

Right?

[Pear Schneider]

But also, it doesn't mean that suddenly a cel shaded game should be rendered with realistic lighting and all of that.

[Damon Hatfield]

Right. I also wonder, could it be used on older games?

[Pear Schneider]

It'll look really funny.

[Damon Hatfield]

Like what? Like games like Metal Gear Solid where they just have kind of like very plain faces. Like, what could it do for that?

[Pear Schneider]

I mean, in theory, it's not supposed to change the geometry, Right? It is supposed to calculate lighting differently. And by the way, there may be inaccuracies. Right. Maybe the direction of the light source is actually not correct, but. And when you're viewing like a one second scene like that, you're like, oh yeah, it looks more realistic. But when you're playing the game, we're like, wait, why doesn't the sun. Why is the sun coming from behind now? Right? Like they're. There's all these things we just don't know from this short demo. But my point was like, I get why people are worried about, you know, it subverting artistic vision. And I think that's a real thing and we need to care about it. But at the same time, I don't know why everybody's so pissed about this.

[Sam Claiborne]

I think they're pissed about it because faces look stupid.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Pear Schneider]

But that looks odd. Do you think that looks bad? Like if you know, if you didn't personally know this lizard, a lot of

[Sam Claiborne]

people I love that lizard. Looks so much cuter.

[Mark Medina]

It's just the aiification of everything. It's just worriso that the artists are, they're gonna be like, well, we need less, we need fewer artists because, you know, you could just make whatever and then we'll just use AI and they'll all just end up looking the same.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, but this, I don't see how this replaces people.

[Damon Hatfield]

No, but like, people don't want generative AI in their games. And this Grace looks like they put an AI filter.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, that's.

[Damon Hatfield]

Nvidia says no, that's what they did, but it looks like they did. So that's, that's the problem.

[Pear Schneider]

I think the lesson in marketing for Nvidia is like, don't change grace, man.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, Grace. Grace.

[Mark Medina]

Do not change Grace.

[Damon Hatfield]

Leave her alone. Have been through hell and back together. That she is my homegirl.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Leave her alone.

[Pear Schneider]

You got. Yep, There you go.

[Sam Claiborne]

Rip through almost as much blood as Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. That first remake.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

For that first.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. Okay. Well, speaking of Grace, Pair has started Resident Evil Requiem.

[Pear Schneider]

Yes. Because you made me. And just to be clear, I, I actually I downloaded, I pre preloaded it. I wanted to play it. Huh. Play on Switch on PlayStation 5 Pro. I, I had it all queued up and then something else came out which was fire emblem on GameCube. And you know, there was, there was way more GameCube. It was just way more important for me to tackle. No. And then procopia came out and I was, I was actually on vacation, so, so I couldn't play it.

[Sam Claiborne]

Copy.

[Pear Schneider]

No, I'm, I, I like Resident Evil games. I've played every game in the series. I think as far as not maybe the gun survivor stuff, I never touched that. I am as, I will say, as I'm getting older. Look at Mad Eye Moody. As I'm getting older.

[Mark Medina]

There he is.

[Pear Schneider]

I, I have to say, I don't love games that put me on the back fe foot and have me running away. And of course, Damon, this game immediately

[Damon Hatfield]

does it, but only half the game does that.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah. So, so I, I, I played and I'm like, oh, this is like the Indiana Jones game I just played where you get to explore an area is like, ah, Giant monster girl. Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

It is just, just that opening section.

[Pear Schneider]

It's really, it's really nicely made. You know, I loved Resident Evil 4 when it first came out. I remember playing it pre release and so it's great to have Leon back.

[Mark Medina]

I will.

[Pear Schneider]

I will definitely finish this. It is as weird as every Resident Evil game. Like the, the way the characters interact with each other and I love it.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I loved it. I finished it.

[Mark Medina]

I love.

[Damon Hatfield]

I actually love the whole thing. I don't agree with those. So the part that you're in now, like the hospital, the care center.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

Some. That's kind of like the first half of the game. Some people think that's the good half and then the back half is. Is boring or something. Yeah, I don't feel that way. I like the whole thing.

[Pear Schneider]

I thought people would be more upset at the first person sequences that were underpowered and just running away and like. And obviously that's been a part of many Resident Evil games for a while where you have. You have this sort of unkillable enemy that. That stalks you.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Pear Schneider]

I thought people wouldn't. Wouldn't like the first person view on that.

[Damon Hatfield]

I thought you can change it.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, I thought. I did not change it. And like when you're running away from the girl, it's so creepy that you can't see behind and can't see how close she is.

[Mark Medina]

It's.

[Pear Schneider]

It's really effectively made and you can tell like how good and deliberate that choice of viewpoint was in those sequences.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. Sam and Mark, do you remember, like the scene that they introduce the girl? Yeah. Because I started my second playthrough. I just re experienced it. It's so good because that you open the door, dead guy falls in front of you and you're staring down at him and then, yeah, this giant hand just sort of comes out in front of you, picks him up and eats his head. It's so good. Anyway, so I finished it. Sam and Mark, we still need to do a spoiler cast at some point. Not today with. But yeah, I immediately started Just do it right now. I immediately started my second playthrough, which I never do, but I really wanted to do get the unlimited ammo, the infinite ammo.

[Mark Medina]

You're in the rog like mode now where you're just. You're farming challenge points.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, yeah. The farm challenge points. You need 50,000 to unlock infinite Ammo.

[Pear Schneider]

I. The visuals are really nice. I. I do wish Grace had worn a little bit more makeup.

[Damon Hatfield]

Well, maybe wait and play it again.

[Mark Medina]

It's coming.

[Damon Hatfield]

Six months.

[Mark Medina]

It's coming there.

[Damon Hatfield]

What was I saying? Parent interrupted me. Oh, yeah. So there's kind of two ways to do it. You can either beat the game in under four hours. Or you can beat it without healing. So it took me 17 hours to beat it the first time, so I wasn't really sure how feasible it would be for me to do four hours. So I'm trying to do the no healing run. You bump it down to casual.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's totally possible. Well, you're also doing the no crafting. That's the other thing you have to do.

[Damon Hatfield]

I kind of think I have. I think you have to do either or. How can I not craft and not heal?

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, but they're only worth 25k, so you have to do both of them.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay. Well. Well, I haven't crafted or do casual.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it's easy, Damon. It really. It's really on. Easy. It's not. It changes the game. It makes it into an arcade game. You will be fine with the amount. You just use your. If you got that infinite.

[Damon Hatfield]

I did get the infinite knight.

[Sam Claiborne]

You don't need that. But, yeah, with that, it's pretty helpful. You just go up to enemies. You just slash them over and over again.

[Damon Hatfield]

What about the blister heads?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, you can just. By the time that happens, you're running.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

You're just running from them. Okay. All right.

[Damon Hatfield]

Well, anyway, I'm. I'm back in.

[Sam Claiborne]

But, yeah, you won't have a hemolytic ejector the whole time, which is kind of.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, but that's, like, one of the most fun parts of the game.

[Sam Claiborne]

I know, but think about how great

[Damon Hatfield]

it'll be up with infinite when you get that. This is so fun because the. That you just can pop him with one hit.

[Pear Schneider]

All right, so, Damon, you. I will tell you that you are the cause of my dog running away too. She was. She was on the couch next to me when I started playing. And after, like, five minutes, she noped out.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay.

[Pear Schneider]

She left the room.

[Mark Medina]

Too scared. Too scary for the dog.

[Pear Schneider]

She was, like, looking.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. Are really messed up. Like, a lot of the noises.

[Damon Hatfield]

I feel like you have to play with headphones for this game also. Yeah, but, like, the spatial. You can tell exactly where zombies and. And the girl are walking. Also, the blood splatter when you attack zombies is so good. It splatters on the walls. It's probably on the floor. And then when. When you walk through it, you'll leave blood prints.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah.

[Pear Schneider]

It's awesome.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's crazy tech.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

So in my second playthrough, I'm back in the care center. I just did my first loop through the west wing when you go through the kitchen and then upstairs and then Past the singing girl and then you get the. The gym that gets you into the parlor. And then the first of the three. What are the courts that. To actually get out of the hospital? That's. That's what I just did last night, and that's where I am. But it's.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's totally the basement on my playthrough two right now.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, cool. Wait, you haven't finished it the second time, Sam.

[Sam Claiborne]

Mm.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

But the hardest part is the grace

[Mark Medina]

the second time where I'm past the

[Sam Claiborne]

hardest part, because after that, you're. A lot of the times you're playing as Leon and you just have so much. It's easy. So it's like you can just kill things really easily and it doesn't matter. For crafting for Leon, the grace, not crafting, is a little bit weird. You have to get used to it. You have to get used to using your pistol a lot and your knife. But it totally is fine on easy because you. You regenerate your health and you don't need to use health items anyway.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I remember you regenerated your health. And then when you. When it's a chapter break, like if I go to Leon, when I come back to Grace, is she fully healed?

[Sam Claiborne]

I believe so, yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, cool.

[Sam Claiborne]

But even then, like, half health is fine. Like you're gonna be. It's just fine. Like it's. It's kind of a breeze.

[Damon Hatfield]

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[Sam Claiborne]

The longest part of the process, I'm

[Pear Schneider]

thinking is going to be staying on

[Damon Hatfield]

hold with my current provider, trying to break up with them.

[Pear Schneider]

I mostly use it to just scroll on social media and click things that I like anyway.

[Damon Hatfield]

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[Mark Medina]

Yeah, so who's, who's the one with the orbs? Is that the Evoker?

[Damon Hatfield]

I don't really know their names, but I know the one you mean.

[Mark Medina]

I think, I think it's him. Man, he is so much fun. I'm really, really enjoying the game. Yeah, I, I, it was, like, 30 minutes before bed, and I'm like, I didn't know what to do. And I was like, you know what? Let me just finally give the Slayest Spire game a try. And just like, Nick, I, I, you know, they make you start as. What's his name? The Ironclad or whatever. And instantly I was like, oh, yep, this is great. This is super good. And every time you do a run, you unlock a new character. For the most part, there's five, depending on how far you got. Yep. And they all play pretty different. Like, the cards you get are, you know, the, the cards you could end up getting served are, Are mostly the same, but they all have, like, different, like, perks and stuff like that. Well, the cards, the cards are, are like, you'll get your strikes and you'll get your blocks and stuff like that, but the cards are tailored towards that character's.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Moveset. Right. So it's like the Ironclad, he's like, he's like a warrior, right? He. Nothing special about him except for that he gets healed after every battle. He's the only character that that happens for. But then it's like, you'll go to, like, this guy, he's being carried on a throne. So, like, that sword. Yeah, the Regent. So that sword is something that you're constantly powering up and then can use against enemies. The Evoker has these orbs that go off every time you finish a turn. And you can do all these different crazy things with the orbs and make it where you're never even attacking because the orbs just do all the work for you. It's really, really fun. And then there's, like, a lady with, like, two daggers that's more about poisoning enemies.

[Damon Hatfield]

The poison builds, right?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Right. Now, like, before yesterday, I was just in the phase of, like, learning the character, seeing which one I like playing as whatever. Now I'm in the phase of actually trying to make builds, like, actually recognizing. Okay. The game is pushing because, you know, you start with just a very basic deck, and then it's like, okay, the game is actually pushing for me to, you know, do this, like, just, like a roguelike. Right. And so then it's like you start building cards towards that thing. And, man. Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun. I installed it on my Legion GO s. It is perfect for that. And I just sit on the couch and I just play Slay the spire.

[Pear Schneider]

Are you writing the guy? Are you writing the guide, Mark?

[Mark Medina]

No, no. Luckily, I employ a freelancer named Lynette who has played a thousand hours of the first game.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay.

[Mark Medina]

So she's just kind of solo doing the guide for the second game, and she has already played, like, amazing plus hours of this one, so I'm super tempted. Yeah, it's great.

[Damon Hatfield]

Did you play.

[Pear Schneider]

Did you play the original? I played the first one. Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

I liked it.

[Pear Schneider]

My son's, like, completely. He's got over 100 hours already, too. I'm sure.

[Sam Claiborne]

I.

[Pear Schneider]

It's just, you know, this other brand new game called Pokemon, Gale of Darkness came out.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Pear Schneider]

Tough to find time when these brand new games come out.

[Damon Hatfield]

You're like Nintendo Switch Online's number one customer.

[Pear Schneider]

Honestly, I think. I think there are games on there that only. Only I have played.

[Damon Hatfield]

Maybe.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. They're like one person. This game's also super early access, so it's fine to wait. Like, there's still a ton of content.

[Damon Hatfield]

There's a ton of content.

[Pear Schneider]

Unlock.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, you'll unlock these. They're called Epochs, where it's like, it's basically a milestone. And most of them are drawn, like, I would say 70% of them. The art is just Ms. Paint because they're just all placeholders right now. So you can unlock them, but, like, yeah, very much. Still an active development. And also, I. I don't know how to unlock the last character, so maybe he's not in the game yet. Evoker was the last character I've unlocked.

[Damon Hatfield]

I think that's all there is for right now. That's five characters.

[Mark Medina]

Okay. There's a slot for another one, so.

[Damon Hatfield]

No, that slot is to pick one at random.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, interesting. Got it. Okay.

[Pear Schneider]

I didn't know that Sam Damon is on the guide now.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, he noticed this one thing. Get him on the Guide and. But yeah, I love it. It's very, very fun. Give it a shot. If you are. If you are a fan of the first one or like, card building. Prud likes. It's very cool.

[Damon Hatfield]

I'm not saying Sam would like this one, but he did. Like, he didn't end up liking Blotro. And there's so many similarities. Just being a deck building roguelike where you know, you're constantly adding cards to your deck, but you need to build it so you only have, like, you have access to your best cards. You want to flush out your less powerful cards as you go along. And you know how in Blotch, before you Play a blind, you can choose to skip it and for, like a reward.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, Right.

[Damon Hatfield]

But then you're missing the rewards you would get at the end of the blind. It's the exact same thing here as you're planning your route up the spire. You can go to an event room where. Which is in a battle. You might get something good there, but then you don't get the rewards it would get from the battle. So it's all. It's all like that.

[Mark Medina]

You. You could choose to not fight regular enemies and go after a boss enemy. Yeah, he'll get. It may mess you up, but you'll get better rewards. It's just so cool, man, because it's like. So you can't really see it on the screen because our portraits are. Are covering the bottom left layer. But when you're. When you're in the battle, you'll see on the bottom right. See right there, that little book that says A1, that's your discard pile. And so you only have like, I don't know, like 15 cards at the start, maybe. So you're just constantly cycling through the deck. And those cards will. Those cards can dictate what gets put in one deck. But eventually it's like you want a lot of, like, a really good card. Right. Because once you go through all those cards, which is usually two or three turns, those all get put back into your draw pile. And so it's all about maximizing the chance of getting cards that play to your build.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

And it just gets really, really addicting.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yep.

[Damon Hatfield]

But once you get. Once your deck gets to about 20 cards, you want to start getting rid of your starting cards anyway. I don't know why we're giving a live game help for him right now. It's very. Oh, and Mark, I also think that's

[Mark Medina]

all the art right there.

[Damon Hatfield]

I think the visuals are just placeholders massively improved over the first game you get.

[Pear Schneider]

You're giving live game help because three out of four people on the show today are from game help.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. This is the game help.

[Damon Hatfield]

That's true.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, and I would say probably three out of the four people listening probably are playing this game because there's 600,000 people playing it on Steam.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, it's up to 600k now.

[Mark Medina]

Wow.

[Sam Claiborne]

Insane. Or it was. I think that's where about where.

[Mark Medina]

Damon. You know what? I barely figured out last night, and maybe this was the first game, but I just completely forgot. Jober, can you pause the video right now? Okay. I didn't know this but you see the symbols over the snake, the little sword, and the. The, you know, that says eight and then the five times two. I did not know that that means that that's what they're going to do next.

[Damon Hatfield]

What?

[Mark Medina]

I'm an idiot. That's the whole thing here.

[Damon Hatfield]

How would you play the game without knowing that?

[Mark Medina]

I would, like. I would, like, put all. Like, I'd be like, oh, man, I'm low on health. And so I'd, like, spend a bunch of cards defending myself, like, to raise my armor. And then it's like, ah, they did. They just did a lower strength move. I didn't know. And then I was like, wait, hold on.

[Pear Schneider]

Thank goodness.

[Mark Medina]

That's what they're gonna do next. And then you mouse over them, and it's like this character is intending to hit you with a. Yeah, that's how

[Damon Hatfield]

you know how much you need to block.

[Mark Medina]

And I was like, what?

[Pear Schneider]

I don't know, Mike. Thank goodness Lynette is working on this.

[Damon Hatfield]

I don't.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

So then it becomes a math game. Then. Yeah, thank God Lynette's on this, because, man, I would be like, guys, the things it doesn't tell you. So then it becomes all about math. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna take this hit, but, like, can I minimize it? Can I kill him before he does this? So then, like, do not. And you, like, all of a sudden, you got the notebook out and you're like, all right. Yes.

[Damon Hatfield]

Welcome to 2019's Slay the Spire.

[Pear Schneider]

Hilarious.

[Mark Medina]

Okay, well, what a video game.

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[Damon Hatfield]

about another game that you're an expert in, Mark. Crimson Desert.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, boy. Crimson Damon.

[Sam Claiborne]

I didn't know very well.

[Mark Medina]

Damage, dude. Dude. So you can walk in the game. I didn't know that.

[Sam Claiborne]

They don't tell you, but how do you run?

[Mark Medina]

Like Red Dead style, baby.

[Pear Schneider]

You got a pump, right?

[Mark Medina]

You got to tap a button. Yeah. So Crimson Desert is a video game that I like quite a bit. Yeah, I like it. I like it a lot. I think it's very addicting. I think it's very fun. The story is. I'm not even gonna say the story is bad. The story is nothing. There is no story in this game.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay?

[Mark Medina]

There are things in this game that just. They never get explained. It doesn't matter. Spoiler for the first five seconds of the game, your character dies and he just comes back to life. It is never. It doesn't matter. Who cares. Your goal in this game is to get the gray mains into a camp with you. Right? Like that should like your main goal. Cliff is he's basically a witcher who will just do anything for free with anything you need. He will just do it. He is more than happy to take on any menial tasks that you give him, which is like very mmo. Like, right? Like he's just, what do you need me to do and what will you give me for doing it? I have no qualms about anything you ask of me. That said, the combat is very fun. I think it's very fun. I think exploring the world is super. Fun. There is something around every corner you cannot walk. More than CD Projekt Red has a 45 second rule where you have to find something interesting in your game every 45 seconds. This game is like the 10 second rule. There is something to do around every corner, which is great, but it makes it where you never progress. I think the powers are very Zelda, like Tears of the Kingdom. Specifically, you get moves ripped directly from that game, which is the Ultra Hand and stuff like that. And they control almost identically like they do in Tears of the Kingdom where you can use the D pad to kind of like move the object around and push and pull. Stuff like that. I love those kind of puzzles. They're not as clearly. They don't really explain how to do them. Like. Like things aren't as easy to figure out as like Tears of the Kingdom mostly because of just how the world is. It's, you know, ultra realistic. So things are just like. You're like, whatever. I don't know. I. I really like the game. I think it's super fun and. But. But what I'll say is if you play the game and you don't like it, that's completely valid and I get it. And I agree with every point you'll make about why you don't like it.

[Damon Hatfield]

Like what would you.

[Mark Medina]

Great.

[Damon Hatfield]

What would you say? Is it Some. Some people are hoping it's something like Dragon's Dogma. Is it anything like that?

[Mark Medina]

No. Kind of. Maybe. Not really. No. Because a lot of the. A lot of. I'm gonna go with no. A lot of the stuff you fight, you're just. So. So what this game does is when you get new a fight like he's in right there. What the game will do very, very early is it will just throw waves and waves of enemies at you. It is. It is not uncommon for you to be fighting 20 to 3, 30 people at once. That is just how the game works because the combat's very easy. Something else to note about the. Something else to note about the game in general is Cliff does not control how you think he controls. He looks like an Assassin's Creed character. He's not. He moves much more closer to an Arthur Morgan. He's very heavy. He. You have to like tap X to run.

[Sam Claiborne]

He.

[Mark Medina]

He. He has a weightiness to him that is. That is that it's not how it appears on screen.

[Pear Schneider]

Seems appropriate given that he's heavily armored.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And so yeah, you're not just like sprinting around and doing stuff because you'll like run out of stamina super quick. You, you are very heavy character. The combat's also a little strange. Takes a little bit of getting used to. You, you have a light attack and a heavy attack. You're not mashing those buttons, you're just holding them. So if you hold R1, that's, you know, those are the combos you're seeing is this person is likely just pushing one button.

[Pear Schneider]

So is that the. The MMO routes? I mean, like, when I first saw it, I put it high up on my wish list because it, it looked. The trailers and what I saw at Gamescom looked like a combo between Witcher 3 and maybe Breath of the Wild. Right. Like, there's a lot of high flying traversal stuff. But the game is much closer to an MMO in single player.

[Damon Hatfield]

Right.

[Mark Medina]

It's super. Like, you could tell this started as an mmo.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Medina]

From the creators of Black Desert Online. You could tell that this began and then they were like, nah, because you'll unlock a second character very like very early. Like chapter three. Her name's Damien and she Damianfield is Damien, Damien Hayfield. And she is useless. Like, she's cool, but she's cool to play as. But like, she does not talk. Most of the main missions you cannot do with her. They say these are Cliff's missions. She's useless. Why is she even in the game? I don't know. Maybe I'll find out later. But when you get her, there's no point to play as her. And in my opinion, that's like MMO holdover of like different classes or like

[Pear Schneider]

a little differently or like they looked at Assassin's Creed Shadows and they're like, they tried to go into like one of the dungeons and got the message that, you know, now we can't. Can't play here or something. And they're like, we got to do that too.

[Damon Hatfield]

So is it accurate to say the moment to moment combat is Dynasty warriors and the boss fights are Elden Ring?

[Mark Medina]

Kind of.

[Damon Hatfield]

That's what it looks like to me.

[Mark Medina]

No, no, no. Yeah, kind of. I wouldn't say Dynasty warriors in the sense of like your dynasty, where you know, you're swinging and you're hitting five, six enemies at once. That's not really how this plays that when you are engaging with an enemy, you're. You're typically engaging with that one enemy. So if you're holding R1 and you're doing your light attacks, you are hyper focused on one enemy and you're going towards him. Now if somebody runs up behind you and starts to swing their sword at you and you push L1, which is the block, slash, parry, you would your character, almost like Assassin's Creed or Batman. Arkham, like will turn and parry their attack. And now you're engaging with them. So almost more closer to an Arkham, but not quite like that.

[Sam Claiborne]

But boss fight.

[Mark Medina]

The bosses are like Elden Ring in the sense of like they have patterns and stuff like that. The bosses are not fun. Look at this game.

[Pear Schneider]

Look at their talents.

[Mark Medina]

They're not cool to play. Yeah, this is Dragon's dogma now. So here's another thing I'm gonna pivot to really quick stuff like this. This is not one of those games that gets fun after 10 hours. 20 hours, 30 hours. There's videos going around on Twitter of Cliff doing these insane things, insane moves. You are not seeing any of that until you are 80 or 90 hours. None of that is unlocked early. Mitchell, one of my co workers, has played the game 75 hours and he has not seen a single magic spell in this game. Yeah, and our review still mostly plays as it did when he first started.

[Pear Schneider]

And our Reviewer Travis has 110 hours plus now. Yeah, 110 hours when he wrote this sort of review in progress. And he says, I don't think I can, I can issue my final review because like I. There's too much I haven't experienced that I want to, you know, I want to get more clarity on. I want to see what the end game is like. I mean his point was, his point was that the boss battles are just not that fun. Like they feel out of sync and out of balance. They're not with the combat. Yeah. Cuz this look cool to me.

[Sam Claiborne]

I got to say.

[Mark Medina]

This does look cool. I don't know when this happens, but this does look pretty cool. No, they just like, it's, it's just, you know, it's dark Souls without any of that kind of like dark souly polish. Right. Like you're just kind of like mashing the dodge button and trying to like see if you can kind of read the tells of what they're doing. They've also nerfed a lot of the bosses. So it's, it's, it's, it's tough from a standpoint of like how much we've played. This game is still very much an active development as well. They are changing things constantly. When we were playing the game, when we were first handed the game, we key items, took inventory space. You had 20 spaces of inventory. There's no storage in this game. And they went back and right before launch made it where key items no longer take inventory space and they added 30 more slots of inventory. This, they are very much. I think this game is good now. I think it's going to be pretty good in a month and I think in a year it'll probably be great.

[Pear Schneider]

So they're going to know, do you think?

[Mark Medina]

I think that they are still very much in active development with this game. I think it's enough for them to sell it. I think they're going to keep changing things because they have made four. I'm not talking about day one patch. I'm talking about there have been four major updates since we got code two weeks ago. Oh, wow. That have drastically changed things about the

[Sam Claiborne]

game, made it easier. And. And there's a lot of conspiracy theorizing that, you know, people that don't like this game are people that are bad at it. And that's just, it's just. It's irrelevant. It's like they're playing a different game than you will ever play. And this is not the first time this has happened. This also happened with Elden Ring. Mitchell played a much more difficult version of Elden Ring to write a strategy guide for.

[Mark Medina]

We all did.

[Sam Claiborne]

Than anybody here will ever see.

[Mark Medina]

They nerfed Radahn.

[Pear Schneider]

You're saying journalist mode is the hard mode?

[Sam Claiborne]

It's generally hard mode, yes. And then another thing that you should

[Mark Medina]

be learning now that we have beta tested the game, the normal people complain.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Another thing you should be wary about is that we said, hey, we can't fully score this game. We're 120 hours in. There's clearly so much more to see. Plenty of people just slapped a score in this game without saying anything like that. And there's no way that they be. They just. We know what the limitations on those people were and it just seems, you know, like extremely unlikely that people would have got, you know, past the points that a lot of the people we were playing with got to. So it's kind of weird right now, to be honest.

[Mark Medina]

It's not even theorizing. A lot of them say in their reviews that they haven't been.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, yeah. Or that. Yeah. So that's unfortunate. I. There's a funny anecdote. So we had a. So we make these big interactive maps for games and one way that you can make a big map is you can make the game easier by turning on cheats and then run around the map. So we Had a coworker doing that. And again, not for review or anything critical or anything like that. They're like doing a job which involves running around in a game. And that the editor got much further than most people probably on earth have gotten and was. Would have to fight these late game bosses with cheats on and with infinite health. And they would take 40 minutes.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, he would just, he would just prop up his controller, hold it against the R1 button, and he would just walk away because your character engages and so as you slash, they'll kind of move forward and that's. That's all it took. So he was cheating. He had cheats on.

[Sam Claiborne]

But that's just showing you and you can't do much. Like, it's a. It's a. It's just showing. There's probably some, some major balancing issues with the game right now because once people get to that, they will probably bounce off of that. It's not like Silksong where like, well, clearly somebody handcrafted this to like make this perfect boss fight that you're going to want to try a million times. It's more like, can you make enough hamburgers to grind out this boss that has no obvious, like, you know, cool strategy or anything. You just, you just have to outlast it like that. That. That ain't, that ain't great news. And our reviewer will, will definitely be reporting more on that.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, a big narrative right now.

[Pear Schneider]

This.

[Mark Medina]

You know, I'm not very much into discourse for social media when it comes to stuff like this because people will. The game releases and at the time of this recording, it releases in two minutes. They will figure it out for themselves. But what I will say is there's a lot of like, oh, journalists scored it low because they didn't, you know, the game doesn't hold your hand. It's not about that. It's not about holding. We gave elden ring a 10. That game does not hold your hand at all. It's not about a game holding your hand. It's about a game breaking its own rules constantly. And that happens. You have a, A Zelda like glider. It works almost identical to the glider in this game where you kind of turn into a crow. It's a, It's a very short glide that you run out of stamina very quickly on. In chapter four, you fight a boss, the tool. There's no tool tips or anything. The boss is flying around. Game does not tell you that suddenly your glide is a fly. You push it and all of a sudden you can fly. The game doesn't tell you that. So it's not about like, oh, it doesn't hold your hand. It's about it literally breaks its own rules and then just doesn't tell you. And then you're like, what am I supposed to be doing here? And then you're like, oh, what the heck? Like it's very, very, very strange. You know, I don't think it's going to be for everybody, but if you like open world games where you could just run around and do a million different things, I think you're going to love this game. I just love the. That is what I like doing.

[Pear Schneider]

I love the look and I love the creatures. I mean that's what attracts me to it. And like I can handle a little bit of jank. Like honestly, if you go back to the earlier Witcher games, they didn't feel great. Even Witcher 3's combat doesn't feel amazing. But that game sold me because of the world. The immersion, the monsters and the side stories. Every side quest is like a freaking chapter from a book and it's self enclosed in many ways. That's what soulta.

[Mark Medina]

You're not going to get that here.

[Pear Schneider]

But the combat is much better in a game like you know, freaking Tears of the Kingdom or something. So if this is, if it's, if it's more about immersion in world, I'll probably have have a good time with this.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm worried about like I want the immersions in world, but I am worried about getting gated every once in a while by like something that has nothing to do with what I've been doing. Like I've not been working on beefing up my character for a boss fight. I've been working down another path. But it sounds like you're still gated by those boss fights.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, my phone just lit up. Crimson desert, ready to play. Sorry boys.

[Sam Claiborne]

Goodbye.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, that, that does happen. This is. This. It's weird. It's also another weird thing that Pearl Abyss has said. This is not an rpg. What? This is the most RPG game.

[Sam Claiborne]

They're trying to distance themselves from it being a MMO rpg.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, this is an rpg.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Stop listening to what PR people.

[Pear Schneider]

I actually, I actually have an issue. I have an issue with that.

[Mark Medina]

Right.

[Pear Schneider]

Like we, we run the IGN games database and we assign genres to games and we often make changes over what people list. On Steam. On Steam, sometimes people will genre spam their games so that they show up for many, many searches.

[Damon Hatfield]

Right.

[Pear Schneider]

Like famously Nintendo when it had no role playing games on the N64. Kept calling Ocarina of Time an RPG. At least in the west that's an action adventure. There's. There's one RPG in the, in the Zelda franchise. Early on that was Zelda too. So it's like, yeah, like it. Sometimes it doesn't. It's not. The developer speaks the truth. And some people say, like, they would know. It's like, no, they don't.

[Mark Medina]

No, like you don't level up. Okay. Like, there's no like, oh my. Cliff is level 14. That's not how it works. Your gear, your weapons, they all have numbers. They all have upgrading. You know, you upgrade your sword, it did 14 damage. Now it does 16 damage. That's an RPG. When you do level up, you basically just get what's called an abyss core and that you. Those are your skill points. Putting things and skills to raise your stamina. Now my stamina, it was 180, now it's 220. That's an RPG. Yes. Cliff himself is not level 20. Level 30, like an Assassin's Creed. But everything else is RPG. Like it. It's an RPG.

[Pear Schneider]

Games, games are so mixed up. All the like nowadays it's like there are games with RPG elements and like you just gotta, you just gotta make.

[Mark Medina]

This is an open world RPG action RPG in every sense.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, it's half fishing though, right? So it's half of a fish with it.

[Mark Medina]

With a, with a dash of fishing

[Damon Hatfield]

in this footage there. This, you know, the battle is having. Happening over this puddle. The reflection is amazing. In the puzzle. In the puzzle, dude.

[Mark Medina]

So graphically. All right. One of the prettiest games you'll ever play. Holy smokes. This game is gorgeous. So I'm playing an incredibly well optimized screw. Unreal Engine 5. Stop making your game in Unreal Engine 5. This game is not Unreal Engine 5. Oh, I say it every episode. This game on my 5070 ti, no DLSS, none of that. I'm getting native 65 frames, 4K, everything set to cinematic with full ray tracing, everything. It's gorgeous. It runs so well and looks so good. The reflections are incredible. The foliage is insane. All of those trees can be cut down.

[Damon Hatfield]

Cool.

[Mark Medina]

It's nuts how much like it can be interacted with. You could cut down that tree, pick it up, use your ultra hand to throw. You can do whatever you want.

[Sam Claiborne]

So nuts. We were unable to play this game on console, by the way. So, like, I'm really interested in seeing how that turned out. And I have not heard, you know, negative stuff about it. I think somebody got it exclusively for PS5 Pro and tested it and that's the only indication I have that it even exists for those consoles.

[Pear Schneider]

See, that stuff makes me nervous.

[Damon Hatfield]

Whatever.

[Pear Schneider]

But yeah, I don't know.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Well, this game is optimized for the new PSSR2 if you're playing on PS5 Pro. So it should and Digital Foundry did do their full breakdown for for this running on PS5 Pro and they said it runs great. Sure there's gonna be frame dips, but

[Pear Schneider]

that's console I may have to play it.

[Damon Hatfield]

It looks really incredible, dude.

[Mark Medina]

It's really fun. I I'd love to know other people's opinions of it. I want to know people's opinions on it that aren't working on it for game help because for game help this game has been miserable. So I'd love to know what people that are just playing the game for fun think. Because I think it's really fun.

[Sam Claiborne]

All right, all right.

[Mark Medina]

Spoilers. I haven't really been playing it for game help. Spring starts at the Home Depot and

[Damon Hatfield]

we are bringing the heat to your backyard this season.

[Mark Medina]

Fire up the flavor with our wide variety of grills for under $300 like

[Pear Schneider]

the next grill 4 burner gas grill

[Mark Medina]

that's perfect for hosting your spring cookout. Then set the scene and turn your outdoor space into the go to spot the patio sets for every budget.

[Sam Claiborne]

Bring it this season with grills that

[Mark Medina]

deliver flavor and patios that set the vibe from the Home Depot. Start your spring with low prices guaranteed

[Pear Schneider]

at the Home Depot exclusion supplies. See homedepot.com Pricematch for details.

[Progressive/Mint Mobile/Shopify Ad Voice]

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[Damon Hatfield]

Two good coffee creamers.

[Progressive/Mint Mobile/Shopify Ad Voice]

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[Damon Hatfield]

All right, let's check in with the listeners.

[Sam Claiborne]

Hey howdy listeners.

[Damon Hatfield]

Listeners remember you can always reach us at the email address gamescoopgn.com Just like Roe in Ottawa, Canada, Rose says, I just started playing Memories in Orbit on Game Pass. It is a beautiful game with awesome music, traversal and platforming and combat. Anyone played Mio?

[Pear Schneider]

No, not yet.

[Damon Hatfield]

Great boss fights. I would call it Silksong Lite over The years Metroidvania and roguelikes have become my favorite genres. Wondering what each one of you would pick as your favorite modern metroidvania, say 2010 and beyond.

[Sam Claiborne]

We're doing this with Mark.

[Mark Medina]

Oof. You know I'm on the show, right?

[Pear Schneider]

No, I would say for me it's Metroid Dread song.

[Damon Hatfield]

Metroid Dread.

[Pear Schneider]

For me it's Metroid Dread. I mean, I think that's a copa. I really like Prince of Persia too. I thought that was fantastic.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yep, Prince of Persia's mine. Easily, easily. No contest.

[Damon Hatfield]

Wait, what about the, the dung beetle one?

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, how modern are we going?

[Mark Medina]

That's like 10 years ago you said 2010.

[Sam Claiborne]

He.

[Damon Hatfield]

This ro just has. Yeah, 2010 and beyond. And after that, what was the name of the pinball? Metroid Video Island Island Express.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Pear Schneider]

See, I, I, I like that game a lot, but it wasn't like, I ran into areas where it wasn't fun. Like, I got a little frustrated in that one. And it wasn't because of, like, Dread. I got frustrated with some of the difficulty of the bosses. But this one, I just sort of got lost sometimes a little bit in that world. So I didn't think it was that, like, it could have gotten a little bit more tweakage. But, you know, like, if you happen to be into Metroid other games and

[Sam Claiborne]

not as much as other games, you did better than Axiom Verge.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, I did too. If you happen to be into pinball and Metroidvanias, I don't know anybody like that. It would probably be your game of.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. Besides the pinball stuff, it's really cute and charming. The way that they integrate the pinball all stuff into it is really funny. And the dung beetle's funny.

[Damon Hatfield]

He's a mailman. Right? He has to, like, deliver mail.

[Pear Schneider]

No, it's a good game. I like that one.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, that was one.

[Mark Medina]

I would say the Ori games, like, they're pretty and they have really good music.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yep.

[Mark Medina]

Yep.

[Damon Hatfield]

Sam, did you pick.

[Mark Medina]

I just looked at, at a list, I just looked at a list of the top 25 metroidvanias, and I, I have not played any of those games.

[Pear Schneider]

What?

[Mark Medina]

They also had Shantae on there, which is weird because Shantae is not a Metroidvania.

[Sam Claiborne]

No, some of them are.

[Mark Medina]

Some really. Well, they had Half Genie Hero, and I don't think Half Genie Hero is a Metroidvania.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm sure that one is.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I think they're all Metroidvanias, actually.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I love those games. This is great. Shantay's really good.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. No, I. I famously do not really play metric.

[Sam Claiborne]

What are we missing? What's in IGN's top five?

[Mark Medina]

Well, this wasn't from IGN.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's from another website that doesn't even exist.

[Pear Schneider]

I didn't know what other website.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I'd shut out Bloodstained.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I never beat Bloodstained. You reviewed it, right?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, Bloodstained.

[Sam Claiborne]

It was really fun.

[Damon Hatfield]

I gave it an 8 out of 10.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. The new Castlevania might be the best. Metroidvania.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

The one that's. Hopefully that's out this year. But speaking of that one.

[Mark Medina]

Okay.

[Damon Hatfield]

What?

[Mark Medina]

Hold on. Sorry. Can I answer Sam's question really quick? So we did have a best Metroidvanias list.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

So, number one, Hollow Knight. Hollow Knight. Number two, Will of the Wisps. Number three, Silk Song. Number four, Animal. Well, number five, Guacamelee 2.

[Pear Schneider]

I actually really. Those are all great guacam. I really liked Animal. Well, I thought it was really cool.

[Sam Claiborne]

Keep going. What's. What's six? What's 670?

[Pear Schneider]

You didn't play any of these.

[Mark Medina]

Mark.

[Pear Schneider]

Mark. You seriously.

[Mark Medina]

No, I'm not playing. I've not played any of those. I'm too old.

[Pear Schneider]

Wait a second. You're looking at me and you're saying you're too old.

[Damon Hatfield]

He's the youngest one here, but he's too old for Metroidvanias.

[Pear Schneider]

Too old.

[Mark Medina]

All right. Bloodstained, Ritual of the night, Steam World Dig 2.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, I love that.

[Mark Medina]

Roots of Persia, Lost Crown, Axiom, Verge, cave story number 11.

[Sam Claiborne]

We're including caves Express.

[Pear Schneider]

I'm not a cave story guy, but

[Sam Claiborne]

out of those, I think we picked out the right ones. Some of those I wouldn't. I wouldn't recommend at this point. Even Axiom Verge 2, I think, was better than Axiom Verge. I think that's unpopular opinion, but I still wouldn't recommend it. There's a lot of these games go way too Metroid by the books, and if you do that, it's a little obvious, and I don't think it works as well. Bloodstained is awesome, and the NES version of Blood Stained is really, really fun, too.

[Pear Schneider]

That's not a Metroid Steamboat Dig too, though.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, that's probably my favorite just traditional Metroidvania game.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

Of this time period.

[Pear Schneider]

I forgot. I forgot about that one.

[Mark Medina]

That.

[Pear Schneider]

That's definitely in my digging Mechanic.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's like, what? It's what if. Mr. Driller. Fun for more than two minutes, and

[Pear Schneider]

it's a crazy evolution. The first game had randomized environments. The second one is a true Metroidvania with like handcrafted levels. It's just.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's so good.

[Pear Schneider]

Wonderful.

[Damon Hatfield]

They. They make all these other Steamroll games. Let. Let's maybe bring the focus back.

[Pear Schneider]

This one's fun, but let's.

[Damon Hatfield]

How about Steam World Dig 3? How about that?

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, they're doing it.

[Damon Hatfield]

The other one I would throw on there if the panel will allow it would be Dead Cells, which is not a traditional medium, but yeah, that's interesting.

[Mark Medina]

I do rogue dead cells.

[Pear Schneider]

I mean I love to rogue to be Castle.

[Damon Hatfield]

I mean it's the Metroidvania procedurally generated. But you do find there are items you find that will unlock areas in future runs. So I don't know.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, good mix up.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well then I'm going to put mini sheet adventures in there because it is. I know it's supposed to be a Zelda like Zelda, but. But you know, as in terms of a 2D game that you find new areas and have to go back to other areas to open them up. It is structured the same as Metroid and Zelda were the same type of game, but they were. One was sideways and one was top down. That was the distinction at the time. So where we go from there is a little bit messed up because we just decided that Castlevania matters more.

[Damon Hatfield]

Minishoot is on Switch now. Yep, you can play there.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I played it.

[Pear Schneider]

I played on Steam Deck. I mean it's linked to the past with a little Twin Be ship, basically.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, I love Twin be.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

What's that called here? Stinger. Right.

[Damon Hatfield]

Stinger.

[Pear Schneider]

Wow.

[Damon Hatfield]

This is Parker from Seattle. I am currently watching an old game scoop episode on YouTube which I know the panel has agreed is a crazy thing to do.

[Pear Schneider]

Justin told me that's just Justin.

[Damon Hatfield]

Not correct. It was just Justin and I think he's been just. Just corrected. It is there is nothing strange he regrets ever saying that watching old Gamescube episodes. On episode 410 from October 21, 2016, Damon, Jared, Sam and Justin were reacting to the announcement.

[Sam Claiborne]

Ooh, ooh.

[Damon Hatfield]

The announcement trailer for the original Nintendo Switch and making some predictions for Nintendo's next console. At the 5 1/2 minute mark, Sam said the following. You know what's really exciting? I have. I should have had a clip. You know what's really exciting about it is that you could potentially couch it in some sort of cardboard like thing and play virtual boy games on it, thus kind of predicting. So that was what Sam said.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm in a big lawsuit about this right now and I won my money.

[Damon Hatfield]

Predicting both Labo and the newly released Virtual Boy accessories. Pretty insane production to stumble upon from almost 10 years ago.

[Pear Schneider]

That's. That's amazing. But to be fair, I think when Sam said it, he said there's no way in hell. Like I don't think I. Anybody would have predict, predicted Nintendo would acknowledge the existence of Virtual Boy, let alone make a hundred dollar accessory to play it.

[Sam Claiborne]

So I think we can all accept that Sam talks enough that a broken clock is right.

[Pear Schneider]

That's right.

[Mark Medina]

That's what happened to him. I have a better Miyamoto watches scoop. That's. That's what I'm taking.

[Sam Claiborne]

I have a better rate than, than the broken clock. And please, once again, somebody tell my wife that many years ago I said something and it was totally right and came true.

[Damon Hatfield]

Have you been enjoying your. Your new virtual book accessory? Playing it every night.

[Pear Schneider]

It's one of those things where like I really like it but I just can't play it for a long time because it's like it's so uncomfortable.

[Mark Medina]

Such marks.

[Pear Schneider]

I have to like nail it to the wall so that I can stand

[Damon Hatfield]

upright or something like that was the problem. The Virtual Boy should have. They should have just been a wall accessory that you stand and you lean into.

[Mark Medina]

Just put it in the corner.

[Sam Claiborne]

I should be at Toys R Us. They made kiosks that you would walk up and kind of just like, kind of nestle into like that.

[Pear Schneider]

It should have been a virtual wall. Yeah. Not a boy for the tabletop.

[Mark Medina]

You're just describing a tv.

[Pear Schneider]

The thing about this thing is like the games are actually better than you think.

[Sam Claiborne]

They.

[Damon Hatfield]

They're still Nintendo games, you know.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah. And like Wario especially. It's like that. That's a really good game.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. They're. They're releasing some of the cool other ones too. Mario Clash is coming. That's a cool Mario Brothers game. It's good stuff. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I take this everywhere I go and we have playdates in the. In Dolores park here in. In the Mission. Everybody comes over and says I got next game for Tell a Row Boxer. You know, it's a cultural moment.

[Mark Medina]

Like it takes the eyeballs and like it May. It's actually 3D when you play.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is it 3D? Why do we invite Mark on this?

[Mark Medina]

I'm just asking. I've not played it.

[Sam Claiborne]

Boy.

[Mark Medina]

I just. I wouldn't know if it was like actual like if they actually.

[Sam Claiborne]

Shut up.

[Pear Schneider]

Fair?

[Mark Medina]

What do you mean?

[Pear Schneider]

The whole gimmick was 3D.

[Mark Medina]

I'm playing. I'm playing the. I played the role of the audience. I knew the answer.

[Pear Schneider]

No, the audience is more informed. The audience has played a Metroidvania.

[Damon Hatfield]

Mark, Mark, I guarantee you everyone in the audience who has played Slay the Sky are knew what those numbers were above the enemies.

[Pear Schneider]

Mark, tell us more about. Tell us more about the Godfather 2. Tell us more about the Godfather 2.

[Mark Medina]

I'm starting to learn I might not be a gamer. Paradise is really good.

[Sam Claiborne]

Paradise Season 2, just to get Mark out of the. From under the bus, going back what the reader was saying. And by the way, people are posting videos of us a long time ago and that's really funn. But there's a. At the time, in the office, before Oculus or kind of like right around that time, they would issue cell phone cardboard boxes that you could wear in your face. Right? And that's exactly where I got that idea from, is that we had one of those, like floating around. And what it does is it bisects the phone. Your eye sees the different screen. And that's exactly how the virtual boy accomplishes 3D in this form.

[Pear Schneider]

The new virtual board.

[Sam Claiborne]

Dissecting it, the old one did, through a mirror that flicks back and forth 120 times a second and bounces a single dot of light on it. Instead of. It's just absolutely.

[Pear Schneider]

It is the most technologically advanced way to give you a headache. Like, it is really impressive technology.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yep.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, Mark, I heard you mention Paradise Season 2 so we can do extracurricular activities.

[Mark Medina]

I was just trying to get out of that.

[Damon Hatfield]

But Paradise, Please have not started yet.

[Mark Medina]

No spoilers.

[Sam Claiborne]

Now, hold on, Mark. Is Paradise Season 2 a TV show?

[Mark Medina]

Technically, it's streaming on Hulu. Does that make it a TV show?

[Pear Schneider]

I don't know. The only good. The only good TV news out there is that Tokyo Diner, after a hiatus of like almost a decade, is returning with new episodes. Thank you very much. The best TV show Netflix produced the season. It was Japanese TV before. Nobody who listens to the show has ever heard of it. And it's fantastic.

[Mark Medina]

No.

[Sam Claiborne]

What about the wine one?

[Pear Schneider]

The what?

[Sam Claiborne]

The wine one. You like that one?

[Pear Schneider]

Drops of God. The manga. Manga adaptation.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's.

[Pear Schneider]

It's very good. It's got a second season on Apple tv. You guys are not going to like it because it's for cultured people.

[Sam Claiborne]

Wow. Is that a fermentation joke?

[Pear Schneider]

It's good, that one. It's in French, English and Japanese. So good luck.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, Mark, I set you up. You didn't say anything about Paradise.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, Paradise. Season two, possibly better than season one.

[Sam Claiborne]

What?

[Mark Medina]

I think it is insanely good. It is so good. I can't believe it.

[Pear Schneider]

But it doesn't have the gimmick reveal. Is it. Is it? Okay, don't say anything. Don't.

[Mark Medina]

But it still follows the format of every episode is like 60% flashback. It still does that every episode. All right. Yeah, it's still. It still does that every episode, so. Well, except for the first episode. The first episode is like introducing a character. So it's just. Oh, no, that one's still flashback too. But yeah, there's. There's. There's that. And then from then on, then the rest of the show, like, when you watch the first episode, you won't see a recap of the first season. Don't be alarmed. That's because the first episode has nothing to do with anything that happened in season one.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's very Lost, right?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, it's very.

[Sam Claiborne]

Just to watch an episode about this character.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

In the past.

[Mark Medina]

Think of it as episode three from Last of Us, Season one, where they had that, like.

[Pear Schneider]

I don't know which one that is.

[Mark Medina]

I know it's. It's the. The Nick Offerman.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, yeah, yeah. The best episode. Okay. Yeah, that was.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, that is basically this. It's like. It has a lot to do with the world, but, like, it is. It is. Does not address anything that's actually happened in Paradise. Then in episode two, then it's like, okay, here's a recap of episode one. Also, that guy that they just showed, his name is Link and he is named after the video game character.

[Pear Schneider]

Excellent.

[Sam Claiborne]

Very well, that's the second big reference in paradise to Nintendo. Yeah. Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, they're not done. I'm not going to spoil anything, but they are not done with the Nintendo reference.

[Sam Claiborne]

The crux of the final events of that season all are about a video game system.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. About the week.

[Mark Medina]

And they are. Should let me have the Wii.

[Sam Claiborne]

Mark, how far were you through the second season when you realized that twist for the first season?

[Mark Medina]

Wait, they're in a bunker. Hold on. Okay. I will say halfway through Night of the Seven Kingdom, and I was like, wait, is Egg a Targaryen?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes.

[Mark Medina]

My wife's like, duh.

[Sam Claiborne]

Like, oh, let's do. Let's. Let's get a third big spoiler in here just to make sure Mark's week goes great. What do you got, Mark?

[Mark Medina]

I'm also watching the Pit and the Pit is fantastic.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, the Pit. I. Is good, but I can't watch it.

[Mark Medina]

There's nothing to spoil about the Pit. It's very good. And it's just.

[Sam Claiborne]

Isn't there a video game thing in that you got.

[Pear Schneider]

No. You guys watching Steve Carell, the Rooster?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. So good.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, I've heard good things, but no, it's pretty good.

[Mark Medina]

I've heard it's great.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's only two episodes in. I've watched them both twice because I made other people watch it, and so then I had to supervise. It was a great rewatch already. But yeah, it's really. The production crew behind Ted Lasso, plus Steve Carell and. Absolutely. And then a little bit of an HBO gloss over it. Right? Amazing cast. The cast is so funny. They're so great. His daughter's great in it. And. Yeah. It's just. It has Jamie Tartt.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, cool.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do, do, do, do, do, do. Jamie Tartt.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, yeah, there he is.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, there he is. Yeah, there is.

[Sam Claiborne]

And he plays. Yeah, he's great. I. I can't wait for y' all to watch it. And we'll be talking about next week.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

All right.

[Damon Hatfield]

I'll watch this tonight. And then you also saw Project Hail Mary.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, I'm so jealous.

[Sam Claiborne]

I did.

[Damon Hatfield]

Is it out now?

[Sam Claiborne]

It's one of my favorite action movies ever.

[Damon Hatfield]

Did you see an early scre.

[Pear Schneider]

Early screening, Right.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's out for everybody listening, though. They can go see it right now because it's out when this episode comes out. Dude, it's so. I love the book, actually, Pear mentioned because, like, I was a little burnt on the author's second novel, which I

[Pear Schneider]

believe is called Artemis. Artemis.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. It's not that I like the Martian. And then. And so. And then Per's like. Actually, the third book is really good. Like. Like the week it came out, I think you told me about it, read it, couldn't put it down. Loved it. And I thought this would be the worst thing ever to adapt to a movie, and it's so good.

[Pear Schneider]

I thought they would screw up.

[Sam Claiborne]

They needed to find the right people, and they need to find the right cg, and they needed to do it. All right. They cast Rocky great. And they cast Grace great. They're just amazing.

[Pear Schneider]

I thought they would screw this up just with the CG stuff.

[Sam Claiborne]

What this movie is, it's a big series of things that I don't want to give away because the plot is great, but it's a space movie about humanity going to the stars. For the first time and a bunch of scary, great thrilling action things happen and there's also just very unexpected twists. And then throughout the whole thing is this emphasis on humanity can solve problems like Star Trek has, which feels especially I think, hopeful and unusual for this time that we're in right now. But then also things go really wrong with those plans and it's, it's great.

[Pear Schneider]

It's like. It's like Armageddon, if Armageddon wasn't dumb.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, yeah. Is it the same author as the Martian or is it.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, Andy, we. Andy Weir.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, Andy Weir. And who did the Martian? Artemis, which was the second one he did.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, we've got a. On our YouTube channel, we have an interview with him. He used to work for Blizzard.

[Damon Hatfield]

I did not know that.

[Pear Schneider]

I think he got fired from Blizzard actually and then pursued his writing career. Yeah, he's just knows technology really well and is. Is really tuned in with pop culture and video games, but not in a ready player one, I gotta mention everything kind of way.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, yeah. Well he. What he did come from a background of that being the ready player one of science though, right?

[Pear Schneider]

Well, yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

You know, this plant is mainly made out of carbon so I need to make a high nitrogen soil. So I'm going to make that with poop. Like that was like the whole like conceit of that and there's a little bit of that and a lot of that in this book. Very moderated for the movie and great kind of scenes with the character thinking and stuff, but doesn't explain it and then you see the results and it's really smart. So the other thing this movie does is that they did a bunch with practical sets in this movie and the anti grab and stuff is really amazing. And Ryan Gosling, by the way, unbelievably funny. He's just funny and he's good at delivering lines and every joke falls. So it's like one of those Indiana Jones type action movies where your central lead is so charismatic that everybody's smiling the whole time until it's scary for a little bit and then smiling again. It's like a Disneyland ride. But what I was gonna say real quick is that this game, this game, this movie has a bunch of space scenes in it where they do the full silence. So the theater was dead.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, I love that.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, that's excellent.

[Sam Claiborne]

Some of the most absolutely tense messed up things that could possibly happen while a person that has no idea how to navigate a spaceship, especially do a spacewalk, is doing And. And I, you know, everybody was just, like, holding their breath and just watching, and it was like. It was a theater experience. That's great.

[Pear Schneider]

Weir keeps remaking this old story called Robinson Crusoe on Mars, basically, where it's like you need, you know, lone. Lone guy needs to figure out how to solve all these big, big problems. And then he's got this sort of like James Bond level threat above it, too, in this movie. Yeah. Like in the book, at least I've got tickets for IMAX for this weekend.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, cool.

[Sam Claiborne]

And so this has another set of flashbacks in it, and I'm just gonna say that, then say my next thing, which is that it also has a lot of really interesting buddy comedy stuff in it and things that you would not expect. By the way, it has a great character from the bear that shows up, which is really interesting.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, cool.

[Sam Claiborne]

But ye. It's really, really, really good an actor. I mean, cool.

[Damon Hatfield]

I'll see that for sure. Yeah. All right.

[Sam Claiborne]

Can't wait for y' all to see it.

[Damon Hatfield]

All right, that brings us to video game 20 questions. Our suggestion this week comes from Corey L. From Herndon, Virginia, who says, hi, Damon. GamesCube is my favorite podcast, and I've been slowly working my way through all the episodes in chronological order over the last couple of years, and now I'm only about one year behind Justin.

[Mark Medina]

Every game Scoop episode is evergreen. That's. That's just. That's what it is. Nobody does this for any other podcast. That's all I'm going to say.

[Damon Hatfield]

One of the reasons I love the show is that you and I have a lot in common. We both have young gamer children running around. My oldest daughter's about to turn six. Our tasting games almost always lines up, and most importantly, we're both big horror film fans. That last.

[Pear Schneider]

I'd like to make a guess. The game is R type 3.

[Damon Hatfield]

That last one is why I got one.

[Sam Claiborne]

Abodox.

[Damon Hatfield]

Well, I was surprised to hear in an episode from last year that you've never seen any of the Saw films. What? Imagine my shock. I'm writing to ask if that is still true to this day, and if so, how do we go about fixing it? Well, I'm no mind reader. I feel fairly confident that you'd love the series. It certainly has its highs and lows, but the first several films are fantastic, and the original is damn near a masterpiece. I suspect those that haven't seen it imagine something comparable to terrifiers, but I think it's much more like its contemporaries. Hostile And Wolf Creek because it does not skimp on the suspense, dread, or atmosphere in the way arts outings do. Anyway, please give an update on gamescoop if and when you check the series out, assuming you haven't already in an episode I haven't gotten to yet. Thank you and pass my gratitude to the rest of the Omega Cops for all the years of entertainment. Wait, so he's not even listening to contemporary episodes, so he's.

[Pear Schneider]

But he's bored with what we have to say now, and he's gonna hear

[Damon Hatfield]

my answer in a year or so. No, I saw a great email. I've never seen. I've never seen any of the soft films and not out of it.

[Mark Medina]

Very. Not very similar to Hostel.

[Pear Schneider]

I don't want to make the listeners sad, but I just don't like them. I'm like. I'm.

[Mark Medina]

I would say the first three are worth it. Don't go anymore after that.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, I get. I get what people like about them. They're really suspenseful, but they're, like, at a level that I'm like, yeah, tap out.

[Damon Hatfield]

But I like terrifier, so I might.

[Mark Medina]

It's more of a. Saw is more about the mystery of it all. It's like figuring out who did what and getting hit at the end with this.

[Pear Schneider]

Like, it's got. It's got a little. It's got a little torture porn angle to it. Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Medina]

It's, like, hostile in that sense, but, like, hostile is just torture porn where saw is like. There's actually. But after three, then it just goes off the rails.

[Pear Schneider]

You should watch one. Let us know what you think.

[Damon Hatfield]

I will.

[Sam Claiborne]

Grosser. The pit or saw?

[Mark Medina]

Saw.

[Damon Hatfield]

Really? The pit's pretty gross.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Dude. There's a part where Chester Bennington is, like, glued to a car seat and he has to, like, reach for something. It, like, rips his back off.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

All right, I will start with the first one. I'll just start with the first one.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, just watch the first one. Gary Ules.

[Damon Hatfield]

Corey L. Also included his game for 20 questions. So with that, let the questioning begin. You might be able to use. You might be able to use that. That. That knot. What you've just learned from him to help.

[Pear Schneider]

And this is not the.

[Sam Claiborne]

Like, when you're a kid, you get. I was. I grew up in Arizona. You get in a car and you sit.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

The hot.

[Sam Claiborne]

The car seat. And, like, that's where you get the idea for that movie.

[Mark Medina]

Because you're like, yeah, yeah, it's that.

[Pear Schneider]

I hope this is not the Veri day option of. Of 20.

[Mark Medina]

That was tough.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's not.

[Mark Medina]

I feel really dumb for. For not ending up.

[Pear Schneider]

Damon, let me ask you. Let me start off with this question. If I took this game to a GameStop or any game where I can trade in games and get money, would anybody get excited over this one?

[Damon Hatfield]

I would.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay. No, but I'm like, am I. Would it. Would I get some cash? Cash for it or.

[Damon Hatfield]

I don't know, the actual value?

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, okay.

[Damon Hatfield]

I don't know.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay. Okay, fair.

[Damon Hatfield]

If you want, I can look it up and then you could ask.

[Pear Schneider]

Nikolay figured out that there's a boxed copy of this game, so it's not all digital.

[Mark Medina]

Okay, well, is this. Is this pre2010?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Mark Medina]

All right. It's a lot of years in there.

[Sam Claiborne]

Should we ask if you can make RPGs in it? Because if we had done that last

[Mark Medina]

week, the one question we forgot to ask.

[Pear Schneider]

Do you play as a humanoid character?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

Did we get that? Wait, do we have an era at all? We don't.

[Pear Schneider]

Before 2010.

[Mark Medina]

Before 2010.

[Damon Hatfield]

The pre2010 era.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is it. Is it from last century?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, okay. So.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, wow.

[Pear Schneider]

So Nintendo PlayStation, Super Nintendo backwards, Saturn.

[Mark Medina]

Not Manhunt.

[Pear Schneider]

Not Manhunt. Oh, I see. You were thinking of the saw stuff. Okay. This is like you. I feel like we've had, like, Splatter House and stuff like that, Right? Have you guys?

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this a spooky game?

[Damon Hatfield]

Not a spooky game. That's fine.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, okay.

[Damon Hatfield]

All right.

[Mark Medina]

But, yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Did this game come out in the era of the ESRB rating?

[Damon Hatfield]

No.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay, so before.

[Sam Claiborne]

Was this originally an arcade game?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Did it. Did it originally. Was it originally controlled by a joystick in the arcade?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes,

[Pear Schneider]

But I. I mean, my mind was going to like any of the sort of Friday 13th inspired horror stuff, but, like, if he's saying, like, not a spooky game, spooky means, like, not horror at all. It's not just. No ghosts. Like, is Casper a spooky game? This is not a question. Not a question.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, yeah. Is Casper a spooky game?

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this from before 1983, the video game crash?

[Damon Hatfield]

No.

[Mark Medina]

What's the mansion game? Maniac Mansion. Is that an arcade game?

[Pear Schneider]

No, no, that's a. That's a point and click adventure.

[Sam Claiborne]

Was this developed in Japan?

[Damon Hatfield]

No. And that is 10.

[Mark Medina]

Wow.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay. Arcade game. And it was not before 1980. What?

[Sam Claiborne]

It's between 83 and the ESRB ratings, which is 1994.

[Pear Schneider]

83.

[Mark Medina]

And too old for Metroidvania is too young for this game.

[Pear Schneider]

So

[Sam Claiborne]

there's not a lot of companies that made arcade games in America.

[Pear Schneider]

So it's NES to early super NES age. Genesis.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Master System, but had to be Game

[Pear Schneider]

Boy, but also arcade.

[Sam Claiborne]

All those are Japanese. Did this have an NES version?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Pear Schneider]

There you go.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay.

[Mark Medina]

Is it that scary game on the Magnavox Odyssey?

[Damon Hatfield]

Greatly narrow it down.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. And it's not Chiller, because that used a light gun.

[Pear Schneider]

It's also spooky.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, well, with that technique, I guess we technically haven't, you know, asked that. We asked if it was, like, scary.

[Sam Claiborne]

No, Spooky.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, we did ask if.

[Damon Hatfield]

Are you kidding? Literally, the guy said he wants something spooky.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, yeah. But, like, yeah, that could be. That could, you know, anything. Like, it could be Castlevania, but it's not, you know.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, Castlevania.

[Sam Claiborne]

I think that Spooky. Exity.

[Pear Schneider]

It would not be.

[Sam Claiborne]

Anyway, is. Was this developed by Atari?

[Damon Hatfield]

No.

[Pear Schneider]

And it's not Japanese.

[Damon Hatfield]

You said not Japanese.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay, so, like, who makes arcade games that be like, Midway during that age? Yeah, Williams.

[Sam Claiborne]

Menway Game.

[Damon Hatfield]

No, God damn it.

[Sam Claiborne]

Whoa. Atari, Midway, Williams.

[Pear Schneider]

That's Midway.

[Sam Claiborne]

But he wouldn't. I don't think he would count.

[Pear Schneider]

He would know. He's a smart boy.

[Sam Claiborne]

Maybe it's Sinistar.

[Pear Schneider]

What about American?

[Damon Hatfield]

Center Sinister is very spooky American.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's true. No, that's true. And also didn't come out to that. To the nes. I'm thinking, like, you know, Ghostbusters. Yeah. It could be based on a license.

[Pear Schneider]

That's spooky. Why are you picking spooky stuff?

[Sam Claiborne]

But.

[Pear Schneider]

But, but.

[Mark Medina]

Because it is spooky.

[Pear Schneider]

It is not.

[Sam Claiborne]

No, it's not spooky. It's not spooky. We're returning to this question a third time.

[Mark Medina]

Mark.

[Pear Schneider]

Not spooky.

[Mark Medina]

I keep. Yeah, I keep getting lost. Mark, I want you to take out

[Pear Schneider]

a pen and write, not spooky.

[Sam Claiborne]

What do the numbers mean?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, you heard the numbers, Mason. I. My brain is melted, bro. This has been a week.

[Pear Schneider]

It's all good. Should we narrow it down to genre? Maybe spooky.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, right.

[Pear Schneider]

I mean, like, NES is either. I mean, most. Most of it is stuff. Most of it is shooting or platformer

[Sam Claiborne]

licenses, I think would be likely, but that would be like LJN or something.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Sam Claiborne]

Ljn to get ported, though, and be an American company is very, very unusual. Very unusual.

[Mark Medina]

I. I'm just not familiar with what would have been in Arcades around that time.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, the 80s, Williams.

[Pear Schneider]

I mean, we're at the. We're at the table.

[Sam Claiborne]

Like, what about Dragon Slayer?

[Pear Schneider]

Dragon Slayer.

[Mark Medina]

Very different game from the arcade to

[Pear Schneider]

nes that is not spooky. Except for the skeleton.

[Mark Medina]

It had a layer. Well, when you died. When you died, you became a skeleton.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it does have spooky parts.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, there's

[Sam Claiborne]

Gauntlet. Well, that's Atari, though.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, I know. Everything I keep thinking of. I keep going through all the games in my head and everything is either Atari or it's. It's Midway, at least.

[Mark Medina]

How many questions do we have left?

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, did this game have seven? Does this game have two player?

[Mark Medina]

Yes. Gauntlet could be. Gauntlet.

[Sam Claiborne]

Was it co op?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Mark Medina]

That's 15 contra.

[Sam Claiborne]

So that's economy. So that. Yeah, I think there's like not Sunsoft go, oh, gosh, later. No, I know. So I'm trying to think of like the companies that would make this stuff like gun. The light gun games, back to Capcom crap. No, it's not light gun. It could be like a licensed game, like an alien or Terminator or Revolution X or something like that.

[Pear Schneider]

They're all those. Oh, you mean all those commando. Those, Those. Those are actual gun games. The sit down ones.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. I'm just trying to think what would have gotten a poor, like Punisher or something. Yeah, like something that would have been.

[Pear Schneider]

Most of them are from Japan. That I can think of as well.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, a lot of them are.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this a licensed game?

[Mark Medina]

No.

[Pear Schneider]

All right, well, that settles that. And it is. You play as a humanoid character.

[Sam Claiborne]

Two player co op.

[Pear Schneider]

Two player co Op. And Yeah, I mean, can't be like the Berserk.

[Sam Claiborne]

We don't even know if it's violent.

[Mark Medina]

Battle toads.

[Sam Claiborne]

You might just be pushing.

[Mark Medina]

Who made battle toads rare?

[Sam Claiborne]

Trade West.

[Pear Schneider]

Well, trade west, but yeah, yeah, Rare.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, that's right.

[Mark Medina]

Battle toads. Ever in the.

[Sam Claiborne]

Or double or double dragon? Yeah, but that's. That was Japanese.

[Pear Schneider]

That's Japanese. But. But battle toads is not. That's a good one.

[Mark Medina]

When you pause the game, does it go.

[Pear Schneider]

Was that a real question?

[Mark Medina]

I don't know.

[Damon Hatfield]

I want you to open up every round of 20 questions with that question.

[Mark Medina]

Hey, you always start the show with a song.

[Sam Claiborne]

How many questions?

[Mark Medina]

You're welcome, buddy.

[Pear Schneider]

We have like six left or something, right?

[Damon Hatfield]

Three questions and a guess.

[Pear Schneider]

Not so yet.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, God, we burned through.

[Sam Claiborne]

Rare game, huh? Should we just ask?

[Mark Medina]

Rare.

[Sam Claiborne]

Rare game.

[Pear Schneider]

Well, the arcade version. Oh, this is the.

[Sam Claiborne]

Any.

[Pear Schneider]

We're guessing the NES version. I mean, whatever.

[Sam Claiborne]

Arcade versions of Battletoads.

[Pear Schneider]

Is this a rare game?

[Damon Hatfield]

Meaning was it made by Rare?

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes, one version was

[Pear Schneider]

that is Battletoads then?

[Mark Medina]

No, it is Battle Toads.

[Pear Schneider]

Right.

[Sam Claiborne]

Because you play as a humanoid character.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, that's right. You don't play as a toad named Pimple, Zit and Wart.

[Pear Schneider]

Well, he's humanoid. No,

[Mark Medina]

they're humans. They walk up.

[Sam Claiborne]

Right.

[Pear Schneider]

I think that qualifies as humanoid now.

[Mark Medina]

So if it's not Battletoads rare for

[Pear Schneider]

the NES, I mean, they made like.

[Sam Claiborne]

They made 60 games, man.

[Pear Schneider]

They made. They made all sorts of. What else?

[Sam Claiborne]

And this would have been a port that they.

[Pear Schneider]

Killer Instinct is not that old.

[Sam Claiborne]

Right.

[Pear Schneider]

That's 90s.

[Sam Claiborne]

But it could be that because we. We stretched. No, I mean, that's not any. It's an NES game, but it could be a game that had a pretty bad NES port.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, just totally. I'm not that familiar with NES era stuff and, And I. I know Rare after that.

[Sam Claiborne]

You could ask if it came out in Super Nintendo also. Funny games. It did.

[Pear Schneider]

That's. But that's not going to help us. We're narrowing it down with. With. With Rare. So one of the versions was made by Rare. Should we ask if it's a Battle Toads game in the series?

[Sam Claiborne]

No, I. I feel like the humanoid question eliminated.

[Mark Medina]

Eliminates battle.

[Sam Claiborne]

To me, that's what that did when I asked Humanoid that route.

[Damon Hatfield]

Like.

[Pear Schneider]

Like, isn't ET a humanoid?

[Sam Claiborne]

Hands and a head.

[Pear Schneider]

ET's got like. He's got a little belly. He's got a little petty. Petty feet. He's got a long neck, but he's a humanoid.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm calling ET Rule.

[Pear Schneider]

Like, Jabba is not humanoid. He's slug.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, but in the new movie, Jeremy Allen White punching people.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah. All right. Well, I think only Sam knows the NES era really well from us.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. Well, I mean, if you want to think. If you think it's a battle toad skin.

[Mark Medina]

I.

[Pear Schneider]

To me it sounds like. But like, I can't think of anything where Rare made one version other than Battle.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, they did for like Digger T Rock and like, what the hell is that? All this.

[Pear Schneider]

That's made up Sam.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's just stuff that they did. They got. They got. They might have even made like the port to PC or something.

[Pear Schneider]

Wait, did they make. Oh, God.

[Sam Claiborne]

Games or something?

[Pear Schneider]

There's. Oh, there's a. There's a.

[Sam Claiborne]

Remember?

[Pear Schneider]

It's killing me.

[Sam Claiborne]

Have we mentioned this game series in any way yet?

[Damon Hatfield]

No.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, it's not

[Damon Hatfield]

that brings you to one question and one guess.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, no, we're doomed.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Pear Schneider]

I. I hate causing dead air here while thinking, but there was. I recently looked at a rare game where they made an adaptation Pirate one one One of the versions. And I think it was ljn.

[Damon Hatfield]

I would think that that Rare handled what version of this would be news to everyone. So I don't think that's the rare really part is not gonna.

[Pear Schneider]

Well, I was working on like obscure games database stuff.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm just. I mean, I think just like a co op game coming to the NES from Arcade is the. Is the crucial thing here. It's just hard for me to come up with a game that's not made by the companies we've mentioned already. So I think it's like some kind of like Rambo thing or something like that. Yeah. James giving a lot of eye.

[Mark Medina]

We are on such a losing streak. And I. I don't know, man.

[Sam Claiborne]

Co op. I mean, they're usually in co op games. You're running around shooting with your buddy, right?

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah. Did they make Rambo like.

[Sam Claiborne]

Or a licensed. But so, okay, so there's a bunch of these.

[Mark Medina]

There's like Ikari Warriors.

[Sam Claiborne]

Warriors. There's Commando. I. There's Gun Knack. I don't know what they're all called. Gun Smoke, whatever. All this crap.

[Mark Medina]

It's probably Akari Warrior. Lock it in.

[Sam Claiborne]

I don't know who made Akari Warriors.

[Mark Medina]

Let's pack it up. Rare made one of them. I don't know.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this a game where you run around shooting stuff?

[Mark Medina]

Oh, yeah, and that might be a car.

[Damon Hatfield]

Brings us to the last question, which

[Sam Claiborne]

has to be Akari.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, I think it's a.

[Mark Medina]

Is it Akari warriors that was developed in Japan?

[Damon Hatfield]

No, not a car. This is the 1988. Arrest them up, Narc.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, Narc.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, God, look at that. His gun's not even in his hand.

[Damon Hatfield]

Joe, you got to show the arcade version. This is the NES version, which was handled by Rare.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

The arcade version was Williams.

[Sam Claiborne]

I thought we eliminated Narc because we. We asked if it was Midway.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's not Midway. It's Williams.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, you are Sly fox.

[Damon Hatfield]

I'm not Sly. It's Williams.

[Sam Claiborne]

I would have got this instantly.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, I convinced myself it was that Midway.

[Damon Hatfield]

It looks so good.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, it looks so much better.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's literally.

[Mark Medina]

Wait, hold on. What was that animation of him getting in the car?

[Damon Hatfield]

This is the same photo Digitized digitization tech that would end up in Mortal Kombat. Yeah, like this me. 10 year old me walking by this in the arcade. This blew my hecking mind.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Heck yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

And the fact that.

[Mark Medina]

Look at that. Melts into the street.

[Damon Hatfield]

Not the best gameplay footage.

[Mark Medina]

Look how.

[Pear Schneider]

Look how fun this is to constantly drive into the dumpsters.

[Damon Hatfield]

Dude, you got a rocket launcher. You shoot enemies with the rocket launchers in their body parts just fly all over the screen. This is crack for me.

[Mark Medina]

We should have gotten this looks like the i5. So I think it's pretty accurate.

[Pear Schneider]

For those not familiar with the arcade days, but Williams, it was Bally Williams before that became Williams became Midway, became Atari Games. So that is the. The same development house out of.

[Sam Claiborne]

What.

[Pear Schneider]

What are they Milpitas?

[Mark Medina]

Are those protesters?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes,

[Damon Hatfield]

this is. I do not remember.

[Sam Claiborne]

Midway's in Chicago.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, that's right. It was in Chicag, Chicago first.

[Damon Hatfield]

Anyway, look at that. This came to the NES from by way of Acclaim. And they were apparently very worried about this hyperviolent game coming to nes. I've got the instruction manual here. So the first page says. Dear gamers, we had Acclaim our. We're pleased to present Narc, the first video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. With a strong anti drug message. Narc takes gamers through the supreme larger than life war on drugs. With exciting colorful characters such as Max Force, who wages justice against a number of sordid enemies. And although the fast paced action in Narc is sometimes extreme, it conveys what may often be the harsh realities of the drug environment.

[Pear Schneider]

Yes, it's a documentary.

[Damon Hatfield]

Nevertheless, it is a fictitious representation of how the battle against drugs may be won. Yes, a killing machine walking around with two machine guns and a rocket launcher mowing down every drug dealer they see on site is one way the war on drugs might end.

[Pear Schneider]

That's right. It is actually closer to reality now. Minus the clown. Minus the clown.

[Mark Medina]

He's just an ice agent.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes, they definitely. The enemies are throwing needles at you.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, they throw. I mean they throw needles.

[Pear Schneider]

That's what they do in real life too.

[Mark Medina]

They're trying to turn you into zombies.

[Damon Hatfield]

I like how our.

[Pear Schneider]

Our narc just picks up all the money.

[Damon Hatfield]

It says all new nude. This is just in an arcade game. Any kid can walk back all nude.

[Sam Claiborne]

Wow. Well, this is void.

[Pear Schneider]

This is where you congregate though, Damon. That's because it's a documentary. Yeah, the clowns.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh yeah. You can burn the bodies. They. They burn.

[Mark Medina]

Put that lady down. This. This game is so many.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this a kinky pinky maybe.

[Damon Hatfield]

Designed by Eugene Jarvis that are of

[Pear Schneider]

defender and Robotron and all sorts of llama related stuff.

[Sam Claiborne]

Watch out for those street walkers.

[Damon Hatfield]

Anyway, Narc. Nicely attempt. Thank you for the suggestion.

[Sam Claiborne]

We're on like a four week losing stream.

[Pear Schneider]

We should have had this one.

[Mark Medina]

This is bad. We should have had.

[Damon Hatfield]

Thank you for this.

[Mark Medina]

Can we do like Mario 64 next week?

[Damon Hatfield]

Corey L. From Herndon, Virginia. Mario 64?

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, I feel like this was still a verde option. This is.

[Damon Hatfield]

This is not verde. It was totally very. This is mild.

[Mark Medina]

No, we learned that verde means it's not a game.

[Damon Hatfield]

Sam will appreciate that. You don't kill the dogs.

[Pear Schneider]

No, you shoot them small, return them

[Damon Hatfield]

to their puppy form. You give them more, a new lease

[Pear Schneider]

on life, they all drugged up and then you shoot the drugs right out of them.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's a vision of what could happen if you shoot up a dog.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. Okay. Hey, listen. It's time for a brand new month of gaming. Jump into the Humble March Choice bundle and score an amazing lineup of titles. Right now you can grab Tempest Rising, Chance of San arm sworn, Etrian Odyssey 3, HD Bread and Fred Zero Hour, Small Land, Survive the Wild and Hard West 2. This all supports the Malala Fund, an organization working for a world where every girl can learn and lead by breaking down the barriers that hold back the more than 130 million girls out of school today. Head to humblebundle.com through April 7th to start playing now. And that is all the scoops that we have for you this week. Thank you, Peer. Thank you, Sam. Thank you, Mark.

[Sam Claiborne]

Thank you.

[Damon Hatfield]

Thank you to Jobert working behind the scenes to make this episode possible. My name is Damon. This is IGN gamescoop and Round.

[Mark Medina]

Attention. Dark one. Oh, no.

[Sam Claiborne]

The knife man.

[Mark Medina]

Five, one. One. Let's. You're busted. You're busted. You're busted. You're busted. Oh, no.

[Sam Claiborne]

The Knock Knife Man.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, no, no, no, no.

[Pear Schneider]

The Knife Man.

[Mark Medina]

In the comments section of Game Scoop, we've been hyping Jobbert up quite a bit. So yeah, I'd love to do a IGN Live jobbert reveal. Oh yeah. Could be really fun.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh yeah. Yeah.

[Pear Schneider]

I was thinking maybe he's using AI filters on his face.

[Sam Claiborne]

It was out of focus last week.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's just DLSS5.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, it's DLSS5.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Let me add some eyeshadow.

[Mark Medina]

Sam all of a sudden just has Fabio hair.

[Damon Hatfield]

So. Sam, our thumbnail is going to be Sloppy Grace with the headline, look how they Massacred My girl.

[Sam Claiborne]

It should be. Look how they Mascaraed My girl.

[Damon Hatfield]

That's good too. Oh, my God. That's so good.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, yes. I don't think this is why you crowdsource. This is why you crowdsource. That's good.

[Sam Claiborne]

I don't think people actually get that, but it's funny.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, they would maybe have some faith, step too far.

[Sam Claiborne]

Did you hear the title of next gen console watch I came up with this week?

[Pear Schneider]

No.

[Damon Hatfield]

I remember DLSS 5 are faces fixed or.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, I did see that.

[Pear Schneider]

Sam, your talents are wasted on Game Help, man.

[Damon Hatfield]

Someone on YouTube said he thinks I insert myself. Someone on YouTube thinks he genuinely thinks Sam is one of the funniest people on the Internet.

[Pear Schneider]

I think Sam's pretty funny too.

[Damon Hatfield]

That someone said, well, if more people

[Sam Claiborne]

would take my legit opinions as jokes than I would get away with a lot.

[Pear Schneider]

My favorite is, like, how mad people get when they're like, did you see the game? The troll born comes out.

[Damon Hatfield]

Huh.

[Sam Claiborne]

I just. I forget what it was. There was like a 60 comment thread on the Game Scoop Facebook group that was like, sam thinks this different thing about this thing this week, and everybody's like, please stop posting this. I can't remember what we talked about last week. It didn't seem that controversial at the time.

[Pear Schneider]

Probably Donkey Kong. Hate again.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, I said I liked Pickopia a lot, but I thought Slay the Spire was.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, you did?

[Sam Claiborne]

No, no, no, no, no. I said I thought it. First of all, I said, I'm never gonna play this game and it looks boring. I didn't say anything about the quality of the game or about. Or about it being boring. I just said, said, you know, I'm not playing it.

[Mark Medina]

I. I have since sunk about 10 hours into slay the Spire and it has taken over my life.

[Damon Hatfield]

All right. I'm adding it to the run of show.

[Sam Claiborne]

But I played so good, so there's that.

[Pear Schneider]

You played what?

[Sam Claiborne]

I played Balatra.

[Pear Schneider]

Finally.

[Sam Claiborne]

First time. It's great. Yeah, it's awesome. Fantastic. It was in November.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, I see. Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, that's hardly such a good game.

[Pear Schneider]

Hardly news.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it was big news at the time.

[Pear Schneider]

I was late on Balatro and then completely loved it. I was like, should have listened.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's so good.

[Pear Schneider]

Yep.

[Sam Claiborne]

But would Balatra fans like Slay the Spire too?

[Damon Hatfield]

I'm a Balatro fan and I love Slayer Spire too.

[Pear Schneider]

I like the first one. Balatro is better, Not Balacho is probably

[Damon Hatfield]

better, but not by much.

[Sam Claiborne]

Now who's speaking without playing the game?

[Pear Schneider]

I believe the game that I played is better than the game I have not played.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean, like, I've seen that Take a lot from Crimson Desert fans.

[Pear Schneider]

Yes.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, my God.

[Sam Claiborne]

We still haven't played the game.

[Mark Medina]

Someone was like, this game's clearly a nine.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm like, it's out.

[Mark Medina]

Played it.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's out in 40 minutes.

[Mark Medina]

40 minutes.

[Damon Hatfield]

What a weird time to release a game. What a terrible night to have occurs.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's a little bit weird. It's like kind of.

[Mark Medina]

I think it's a play game.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. It's a worldwide launch, I think, based on Korea time. Mark's the second biggest mistake in his entire life mentioning that he thinks that Metroidvanias are not for him in a really long way.

[Mark Medina]

I'm too old. He said he's too old for the

[Sam Claiborne]

first biggest mistake he made in his entire life is being on this show today to say what he really thinks about Crimson Desert.

[Mark Medina]

Saying final Fantasies are not sequels. Got me in some pretty hot water as well.

[Pear Schneider]

Oh, God.

[Mark Medina]

I just say, bullshit, man.

[Sam Claiborne]

Sequentially numbered and have nothing to do with each other yet.

[Mark Medina]

They are not sequels. Seven is not a sequel to six. That doesn't make sense. Justin Davis.

[Pear Schneider]

Wait, what series?

[Sam Claiborne]

He's saying Final Fantasy.

[Mark Medina]

Final Fantasy.

[Sam Claiborne]

But then people swoop in with 10, 2 and that Sid's in everything.

[Pear Schneider]

Yeah, there's a couple of sequels.

[Mark Medina]

That's a sequel. Sequel.

[Pear Schneider]

Okay, No, I. I'm with Medina on this one. It's a rare moment.

[Mark Medina]

13, 2, and Lightning Returns are sequels. But 11 is not a sequel to 10.

[Pear Schneider]

You're right.

[Mark Medina]

12 is not a sequel to 11.

[Sam Claiborne]

The first final Fantasy ever is a sequel. Because clearly there's supposed to be a game called Fantasy out there.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, God.

[Pear Schneider]

This is.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay, Swish.

[Pear Schneider]

Damon, you gotta start the show or I. I can't.

[Damon Hatfield]

This is the show until Jo says

[Mark Medina]

start the show or I'm gonna leave.

[Sam Claiborne]

I know. It happens. What happens is that Jobbert waits and waits for us to get all the jokes out of our system.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, just.

[Sam Claiborne]

We can edit this into the end of the episode.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yep, I know.

[Sam Claiborne]

I see. I see. I see what's happening here. Dobrush is sitting back there.

[Mark Medina]

We just have to. We just have to stop being hilarious

[Sam Claiborne]

watching his flug talk.

[Pear Schneider]

New Year, New Me.

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[Damon Hatfield]

You know you're going to crush.

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