
Live at PAX East 2026
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Damon Hatfield
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Damon Hatfield
What's up everybody? Welcome to a very special IGN GameSCOP Hero effects Year at the Trolley Sour House. They're hosting us for this special episode. I'm your host, Damon Hatfield. Joining me here are Nick Limone.
Nick Limone
I'm back baby.
Damon Hatfield
And Miranda Sanchez.
Miranda Sanchez
Hi. Hello. It's feeling kind of sour in here.
Damon Hatfield
It is feeling very sour in a very good way. Everything has been candified here. We've got a great show for you today. We've got some fun and games planned every time we do a live show. We like to have some fun here and we've got some headlines to discuss. But first, Trolley has partnered with Xbox to celebrate their 25th anniversary by giving you the chance to devour different flavors of specially marked Trolly Sour Bright Crawlers, Trolley Gummy Pops purchase participating Trolley and Trolley Gummy Pop products to unlock free in game content for Xbox games like Forza Horizon 6, Diablo 4, Lord of Hatred and World of Warcraft Midnight. And in addition to the in game Items, up to 10 grand prize winners will receive an Xbox gaming package including an ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming device, Xbox Wireless controller, Xbox headset and digital codes for Forza Horizon 6, Diablo Floor, Lord of Hatred and World of Warcraft Midnight. And up to 15 first place winners will receive digital codes for the three featured games. Visit trolley.comxbox for more details. Plus the kind folks at Trolly and Xbox have even given us an Xbox RG Ally and digital in game content for us to give away. And as a special bonus, we're also giving away some more exclusive World of Warcraft in game items courtesy of Cumberland Farms to some folks here at PAX and a few of you folks at home watching. Just visit ign.comrewards for a chance to win. If you missed the codes, you can head to Cumberland Farms and other EG America locations from now till April 28th and get entered for a chance to win an ROG Xbox Ally by purchasing any size Hyper Freeze and a bag of trolley for $3. Check out details in the Smart Rewards app. But if you're here at PAX east, come find the Trolley Sour House, grab some samples and watch Game Scoop and podcast Unlocked which is happening tomorrow Friday 1pm 1pm That'll catch that one tomorrow. And here we are on the show.
Nick Limone
All this talk of trolley man, you got me hungry.
Damon Hatfield
Nick is just cracking into it.
Nick Limone
Would anyone like some Trolley Sour Bright Crawlers?
Miranda Sanchez
I think I'll hold off for right now.
Nick Limone
Let me know.
Damon Hatfield
Hit me. Hit me.
Miranda Sanchez
But that the blue and red one's looking a little tempted.
Nick Limone
The blue and red's my favorite.
Miranda Sanchez
I like dig them out of the bag. Like I only eat those and then I'll consider the rest.
Damon Hatfield
We're here on the shofar. We've got a good crowd here. I wanted to show you. Oh he's walking with you sir. Yes sir. We got someone wearing a really really cool a very cool T shirt here.
Miranda Sanchez
Excellent shirt.
Damon Hatfield
Where can one print obtain a shirt such as this? I made it from whatever company is on the back tack. Homemade.
Miranda Sanchez
Yep.
Damon Hatfield
I want one. I need to have this shirt. It says does your character wear real
Nick Limone
quick Damon, I don't. I don't mean to put you on blast Matt. I don't mean to. May I. May I announce something for you?
Damon Hatfield
It's A special day.
Nick Limone
It's a very special day over for Matt with the great shirt. It is his birthday. So happy birthday. Very happy birthday to you, Matt. Thank you so much for spending your day with us. We really appreciate that.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, let's kick things off. What games. Games have been gaming. We said on the show earlier this week, Nick, that we're going to be starting Pokemon Pocopia would be our plane game.
Nick Limone
Yeah, we did it.
Damon Hatfield
Promises made, promises delivered. I've played it a lot. You've been playing it. I love it. And I'm not a Pokemon guy.
Nick Limone
Yeah, I love it. And I am a Pokemon guy.
Miranda Sanchez
I love it. And I am a Pokemon gal through and through, tattooed, committed Pokemon person. So I was really surprised even that you played because again, I'm not a Pokemon person.
Damon Hatfield
Everyone's been raving about it. Justin, Sam. And my son has also gotten into Pokemon lately, so I wanted to check that out. It's too much reading for him.
Nick Limone
Yeah, it is a lot.
Damon Hatfield
I think he was actually a little bummed with how much reading it was. I've been enjoying it. It's like, you know, it's got a very chill vibe. I like the vibe to it. It's. I like. It's kind of post apocalyptic.
Nick Limone
Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Like what happened to all the humans? And you're. It's kind of a bummer. But then just the. The gameplay loop. You have a laundry list of things to do. You check something off, five more things get added. And that's not a complaint at all. That's like, it's. It's really engaging and it keeps me. I don't want to put the game down. Like, it was like late last night. I was like, I gotta go to bed. But I don't want. I need to, like, I need to build some more habitats for these Pokemon, dude.
Nick Limone
I'm the same way. I was supposed to sleep on the plane and that was 100% just. I was locked in and I could not stop playing. The thing is, is I think coming out of like, Crimson Desert and jumping into Hookopia, it's a little bit weird to say, but I think the game just immediately felt good to move around in. In a way that Crimson Desert did not.
Damon Hatfield
That's been your big complaint about Crimson Desert.
Nick Limone
But like, this game, it just feels so inherently gamey. And it's from the fine folks who worked on the Dragon Quest Builders game. And this is such a natural next iteration of what they learned with each Dragon Quest Builder. And I just love it. And I realize it takes Out. The part I don't really care for in builders, it's the Zelda light combat. And you don't have to worry about any of that. You just get to build and build habitats. It's very viva pinata in that regard.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. I have about 70 hours in a game I play every free hour I can get. I'm obsessed. So all to those points. Yes. It's like you can just do so much in there. And demon, as you're saying, you have this laundry list, but then you can just go back and sit in something. Like, you don't have to progress. You can take it really at your own pace. And I think the game encourages that. Another thing that I like is it doesn't really punish you for doing time travel. I personally am not a time traveler in my games.
Nick Limone
What's time travel? What do you mean?
Miranda Sanchez
So there are in game timed elements. So say like, oh, Pokemon center is built time tomorrow. You can just fast forward to tomorrow and then it's built.
Nick Limone
So you're hacking it.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. So like, that was like a big thing for Animal Crossing. Right. People would jump around to seasons and there's consequences for doing that. Like, your turns will spoil or like, just you get bedhead and like, there's like, you'll get cockroaches. You know, there's a lot of little things, but Pocoquia has like, basically none of that. The only thing it'll really mess up is your stamps. Like, there's a daily stamp sheet, so that'll get messed up. I say this because I. I thoroughly tested it, but the reason people were looking at it is because there is an event that just ended. It's the first timed event for Pocovia. So we were able to time travel and dig into that. So I kind of like how, again, flexible it is for you and how you want to play this game. So I've had this laundry list again of things to do, but I've just been building houses. Basically all I did on the plane was building very intricate houses brick by brick. And I like how it's really flexible in that too too, because if you're like, really into Minecraft, like I was for so much time in Minecraft, and I'm like, man, I just want to get back into Minecraft. But now I have this. I'm like, I don't need Minecraft right now. And so, like, you can like, like build houses, but if you're not into that and you kind of just want to hang out with the Pokemon, you can have them build the houses and never like really worry about that. Like, decorating is totally optional. It feels like you can get things, things built up really well based on the elements you care about and do the bare minimum to still benefit the rewards or go all out if that's what you want to do. And I think that level of flexibility is kind of rare to find in these sorts of games just because it's kind of interesting. Because I always hear from people, it's like, you know, I loved Animal Crossing, but I don't like the building or the decorating aspect. I just want to exist among these characters. Like, that's what I'm here for. I want that variability. And so that's where a lot of people found disappointment. Whereas with Pokemon or Popopia, at least it has that opposite. Not a problem. It's kind of the opposite in that you can just hang out with the Pokemon and have a good time and not really have to worry so heavily about the decorating or customization.
Damon Hatfield
They're always so happy to see me.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah.
Nick Limone
Unlike real life.
Damon Hatfield
So Pokemon fans, it can be frustrating sometimes, right? Because the new mainline games, there's always some issue, some technical issue, and they're never really like as, like as pretty and as technically advanced as you want. But then something like Pocopia comes along, right? And it's just like this is just. It's such a nice breath of fresh air for the franchise, right?
Miranda Sanchez
Yes. It's gorgeous and I think something I've missed as a Pokemon player. So there are different people. There's like the Ash Ketchums like me, and then there's like the super competitive people which are different. Like Casey, like Casey. Casey DeFreitas is like a Pokemon master.
Damon Hatfield
She's here too.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, she's wandering around pack somewhere on the show floor. Those are the people who are going to dig into Pokemon Champions, which is, I think, what she wanted to go look at here. But they're really big into the IV training and breeding and all this stuff. And I'm like, no, the first Pokemon of this type I meet is my baby. You and me, we were meant to be. I don't care about your stats. That's kind of how I play. And so although I do like battling, I like getting into all that, but not into the same extent. And because of that, the lack of, it's like weird to say, like, playtime features with your Pokemon, like the gradual cutting of that interaction with your actual Pokemon through these games has been really a bummer. I really liked Pokemon diamond and pearl for that because they had like, you know, like the dress up contest is a big thing.
Nick Limone
That's a poffin.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, that's the. There was a lot of interactivity with your Pokemon. And lately in the past few iterations, it's like, do you want to like with legends Za. It's like, do you want to sit on a bench and maybe throw a ball and wave a wand, which they had before too. But it's just not. It's not a lot. Like, you can't. You can just kind of like, hello. Yeah, okay. Like, there's not much you can do like as dress up or like engaging with your Pokemon. And so getting popia. It's all about engaging with Pokemon and getting to know them and like getting to see their quirks and how they interact with each other. Abuse of priority, Surprised by things or get sad. And also I love that they keep the Pokedex entry so intense. Like a lot of the ghost Pokemon, if you read it, it's like, it's very upsetting. And sometimes when they, yeah, they meet you, they'll be like, oh, there's no children around. I get all my energy from them. Like, what am I gonna do? And so it's kind of funny to see that and like in this Pokemon setting and let them have a voice. It's one of the reasons I really like these sorts of spin off games and just being able to see Pokemon exist in a completely different way and also in a very high quality, gorgeous way. Because Scarlet, that was not a pretty game.
Nick Limone
It runs like a dream. It's so smooth.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. And they're better on Switch too. But then, yeah, Pocope gift feels like a little bit more of looking into the future of what Pokemon can be.
Damon Hatfield
A couple more things I like. I like the music. I like how in order to attract new Pokemon, you have to build different types of habitats and you get hints of what to build.
Nick Limone
I love it.
Damon Hatfield
And you might not be able, you know, you see the pieces, but you might not be able to build all of it yet. So you're just thinking, okay, I need to figure out how to do this in the future. And then there are delightful moments where an early objective is you have to water like so many blocks of dry dirt. You're like, well, this is going to take a while. But then you get your like, punching mechanic and you unleash a rainfall and that floods the land. It's like, oh, this is so nice and satisfying.
Nick Limone
It's so clever in how it unveils a lot of its mechanics. And again, it takes a lot of what I like about the Dragon Quest Builders game removes the combat, which I don't think is particularly fun, but it adds the structure that I need for. Like, I'm not a big Minecraft guy. I think, like, I played it a little bit in its early alpha pretty heavily. I liked it when it wasn't Handholdy, but I always kind of lose interest in stuff like this and Animal Crossing because there's no objectives like that are clearly outlined. Like, I like knowing what the game wants me to do so that I can check it off and continue doing. And the game is so elegant in how it goes about establishing your objectives. And then like, oh, you finished that one. Here's four more. And it's like, ooh, it feels just right.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, Miranda, Another game you can speak to a little bit that, I don't know, you can tell me. Maybe it's similar to Procopia, but this
Miranda Sanchez
Tomodachi Life, very different from Kokopia, which is kind of funny because you think that would be really similar. So I can only talk a little bit about it. So there's just some previews that have been going up. So I got a little bit of a look into it, and it is exactly what I was hoping for. So my most played game on the 3DS was Tomodachi Life, which people will be like, oh, not a Pokemon. I'm like, no, Tomodachi Life. I lived in that game. I love it so much. It's chaos is beautiful. And that's what I like about it. So some people online have compared it pretty well. It's more like the Sims. You're kind of setting stuff up and just letting it go and you have some control. So it's like a sim step or move from that. And what really excels in Tomodachi Life is its silliness. And it feels like they carried over a lot of things that were in the original or, like the past. The 3ds game that we got to play and have, like, ramped it up, it is so goofy. Like, just the way that you can just set up people, like anyone, and just have them go is great. So one thing I promised, I was like, you know, one thing I plan to do, I guess, is I want to set up Cliff from Crimson Desert. Desert, I promise people. But it looks like there's going to be a lot more possibilities to do that in, like, the right way, because you can do face paint, you can get really intricate with the Mii designer which is cool.
Nick Limone
Well, wait. He's going to have a personality now though.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, I'm going to try to make him as flat as possible. I don't really know if I can. I haven't gotten to experiment much with that at all. But I think there's a lot of potential there and seeing how things like that can go. But basically I'm hoping I can get. Every time I make something, I make Hatsune Miku because I like to see her interact with people because it's just funny and so I'm like, if I can get them to romance or something, that'd be really funny. But I do like this town aspect to your point, Damon, of it being similar to Procopia. There is light building and there is customization. So you're supposed to be able to customize your island. I haven't seen the full extent of that yet. It's another. It's kind of funny. It's like with Animal Crossing and all these places, it's all islands. I'm like, why all islands? But oops.
Damon Hatfield
All islands.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, it's like, what are your favorite Island Games Top 10 Island Games list coming soon?
Damon Hatfield
Well, there's Yoshi's. That's a pretty good one.
Miranda Sanchez
That is a good one.
Nick Limone
Very good island.
Miranda Sanchez
And so I think just again it's so much about watching the interactions and seeing the things you set up and how they interact and how they. Yeah. Interact. It's like it's again just. It's just interactions and seeing how silly things are. So I'm curious to see like what the long term play is because the island space is a bit different from the original where you didn't actually customize anything and everyone lived in an apartment building to begin with. So you had like a. Like a really tall tower. And then when people got married they could move into their own houses. But everyone in this one starting with houses. So it's like how much space is there going to be? So I think I have a lot of questions still about what the scale is going to look like and also finding a lot more of the differences. I also find myself missing some of the old music because I think some of it was a little better. But overall still very funny. Quite cute. I want to play a lot when it comes out.
Damon Hatfield
Nick, do you live that tomodachi life?
Nick Limone
So I will be very upfront. I am very much like Yvonne Lime. I like reading the stories about people playing tomodachi life. Maybe not quite for me, but one thing that always happens whenever a game comes out at IGN is there's always like some sort of Slack channel where people chat about the game so I won't be participating in it. But please invite me to that Slack channel so that I can read everyone's very silly stories. I think the game is hilarious, especially out of context, like clips that you see on Social, but not quite the thing I always like. Ooh, I like to have fun, but it doesn't quite work for me in that regard. I lose interest very quickly from a play perspective, but I look forward to seeing all the silly stories.
Miranda Sanchez
Unlike Procopia Tomodachi, life is definitely something you can just drop in and then drop out of so fast. And time progresses in that game while you're away too. So I think that's going to be great for it's also great screenshot and gif game. Just the reactions to weird things are so funny. So I think there'll be some good stuff. I'll let you know who Cliff romances whenever.
Nick Limone
Please keep me up. I'm very I need to know what happens next.
Damon Hatfield
What type of person would fall in love with Cliff? That's. That's what we want to find out.
Miranda Sanchez
That's the real question.
Nick Limone
An imaginary person? Hatsune Miku herself. There, you heard it here first.
Miranda Sanchez
I think Miku loves everyone though.
Nick Limone
Yeah, she does.
Miranda Sanchez
So.
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Damon Hatfield
of enjoying a video game vicariously through someone else, Nick Miranda has not played Resident Evil Requiem.
Nick Limone
Oh my goodness.
Damon Hatfield
I don't think she plans to.
Miranda Sanchez
No. I'm too scared. I appreciate it. I appreciate Old Man Leon. I love like the back and forth between really scary stuff to like action, but I know I would just cry. I can't.
Damon Hatfield
It's scary for me. So, Nick, I defeated the girl. I'm in my second playthrough Joanne Casual. So I can, you know, no health run and no inject. No, no blood collect.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, sick.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah, it is sick. So I defeated the girl. Then he switched to Leon in Raccoon City. It was Tuesday night before I was flying here and I had an early morning flight. So I was like, I should not stay up late playing Resident Evil Requiem. I should go to bed because I have an early flight. But I want to stay up playing. But then I got to the boss fight with the spider and was like, okay, that's enough for that.
Nick Limone
I think my time here is done.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah, I don't. That's not my favorite part of the game.
Miranda Sanchez
Wait, is there like a big spider?
Damon Hatfield
Yeah, that's a big. And it's. And it's fast. It's a fast.
Miranda Sanchez
I love spider. Spiders are very fast.
Damon Hatfield
Maybe you'd like this.
Nick Limone
It's a very good Resident Evil spider.
Miranda Sanchez
It's like something spooky.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah.
Nick Limone
Please.
Miranda Sanchez
About me. Yes, I feed spiders.
Damon Hatfield
Oh my gosh.
Miranda Sanchez
We had ants in our apartment. I was feeding them to a spider because I hate ants.
Nick Limone
Wow. Hey, that's a good spider.
Damon Hatfield
Do you put them on the web or. How do you. How do you feed a spider?
Miranda Sanchez
So it was like a tiny, little, tiny little spider, like in the corner of a bathroom. And so every now and then we just see, like one. One random ant. So I kind of get. Get a toilet paper or just like a paper. Get the ant kind of like, on it, then just put it above, like, the web area. And then as soon as the ant approached the spider, just like, lunge at it, like, so fast and just. And I was like, wow, nature. So that can happen to you in Resident Evils?
Nick Limone
If I may admit something, I am afraid of spiders.
Miranda Sanchez
I'm sorry.
Nick Limone
That's okay. Yeah, I mean, I'm not like one of those.
Miranda Sanchez
Like, I always have to ask people, like, hey, how do you feel about spider? I have creepy stories.
Nick Limone
I would just rather.
Miranda Sanchez
I try not to tell people them if they're.
Nick Limone
I'd rather they not touch me. But I'm fine observing them, you know.
Miranda Sanchez
They don't want to touch you, though.
Nick Limone
Yeah, that's my relationship with spiders. I like to just keep a little. A healthy distance.
Miranda Sanchez
What does the spider want from you in Resident Evil?
Damon Hatfield
To eat you.
Miranda Sanchez
Aw, man.
Nick Limone
See, they get a bad rap, man. Spiders get a bad rap because of Resident Evil.
Miranda Sanchez
Thanks, Resident Evil.
Damon Hatfield
Anyway, even though I'm playing on casual, which turns it into more of an arcade game. Yeah, the part before you defeat the girl when you have to sneak around in the basement and turn on three power supplies and she's stalking around, it's still scary.
Nick Limone
It's very stressful.
Damon Hatfield
Because she cheats.
Nick Limone
Yeah, she does.
Damon Hatfield
She has a perimeter that she stalks. But then you sneak by her, and then no matter what, you reach a point where it's gonna trigger. She'll just burst through the wall. Like, no matter what. Yeah. So she totally cheats. Well, there's also still scary.
Nick Limone
There's also, like, bespoke animations that play, like, depending on context of where you are in the game. Because when I first played through that experience, like, I. You know, I had a very harrowing experience on trying to turn on the switches. But there was one point in my second playthrough where I went behind a desk. Cause I was like, oh, I'm gonna speedrun this. Cause I know exactly what I need to do. So I ran quickly behind the desk and I went to go push the button. And then a new. Like a cutscene animation happens where she grabs you over the edge and throws you across. Like, uh, you weren't supposed to do that that fast. And I Was like, this is so good. It's so cool that you didn't like. There's new things to discover every time. I love it.
Damon Hatfield
But you've, like, speedrun the game. You've been in under three hours.
Nick Limone
Yeah, I do.
Damon Hatfield
Is that part. I know, and it's crazy, but is that part annoying?
Nick Limone
No, no, no. I mean, I think at a certain point, the only part that's annoying is spoilers for Resident Evil Requiem for, like, five seconds. There's a part where you have to go to the orphanage as the little girl. That's the part where I'm like, all right, let's speed this up. I'm trying to speed. But apart from that, I think I did it in three hours and five minutes. And the achievement is doing it under four hours.
Miranda Sanchez
That's incredible.
Nick Limone
It's very fun.
Miranda Sanchez
Wow.
Damon Hatfield
And on my first playthrough, it took me 17 hours. So, like, that's how much time he cut off.
Miranda Sanchez
I want to watch that version, the three hour version.
Damon Hatfield
It's one of those things where I
Nick Limone
was like, maybe I should, like, stream like, oh, let me see if I can get a Resident Evil run today.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. Oh, my gosh, that'd be fun. One sitting.
Damon Hatfield
I love that game. Oh, but that just reminded me that's easily my game of the year so far. Even though we're early on in the year. And I would have guessed that you're the game of the year so far, Nick, but you shocked me yesterday. I did something else entirely.
Nick Limone
I'm feeling a little bit wacky. I don't know why. It's like I don't even know who I am anymore, but.
Damon Hatfield
Must be these sour, bright crawlers.
Miranda Sanchez
The colors, you know.
Nick Limone
The game that I cannot stop thinking about right now is Marathon. I'm a little bit sad that I'm going to miss the Cryo Archive attempt this weekend because it's only open on weekends and that's their, like, end game content that you have to roll in. You're not allowed to enter this, like, very specific area unless you have gear valued at a certain, like, minimum value. So it's going to be high risk, high reward every time you go in. Because if you die in Marathon, you lose your stuff and you have to do more runs to get some stuff.
Miranda Sanchez
It's actually kind of cool. I didn't know that there was a gear limit to accessing it, nor did I know that there was a time limit either of, like, when they open it. That's really.
Nick Limone
And there's like, so many, like, Doors that you can only open with specific keys that you find throughout other levels. So it's like, it's just such a clever, like. See, the thing about Bungie that I really appreciate is that they are so intentional with a lot of their design decisions. Whether it be the perfect Halo, you know, grenade, melee, shoot, like, loop that they've. They've crafted and basically trademarked at this point, or whether it be their lore that they drip feed through. Like, really fun and interesting things for people who want to dig into it. Right down to the raid stuff. Like, I'm not a huge Destiny guy, but one thing I always enjoyed watching, I don't like to watch a lot of, like, streamers or anything, but I always love watching people attempt Raids because it's so clever the way it feels like I wish I could play a game exclusively of that sort of thing because it's so involved and it's such a commitment for so many people and it's so cool.
Miranda Sanchez
So I'm a Destiny person and the raids. Having a raid group is like such a special experience.
Nick Limone
It's an adventure.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. So we've tried to do some without guides, which is so like, you're like, oh, Brandon, shouldn't you be able to do that? You're a guide writer. I'm like, yes, but these are so hard. These puzzles are immensely difficult. And so you will spend hours just trying to get to one point and like, you can lose progress in other ways. But getting back to Marathon, I like that they're kind of applying some of their learnings from Destiny to this and all of their games. Right. Like the shooting mechanics, phenomenal. Like, you just know you're gonna go in and it's gonna feel good.
Nick Limone
They have a Halo 2 battle rifle in Marathon, and I'm like, thank God. Oh, it's back. Oh, I missed you so much.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. So I'm curious to see what the Marathon raid equivalent is, because I haven't actually seen it yet. And I'm really excited to watch that because I don't think I'm good enough to get there, frankly. It's so twitchy and it's just. It's like one of those things. Do you feel like. Do you play every day?
Nick Limone
Yeah, I like to wake up a little bit early before work and get a couple runs in.
Miranda Sanchez
That's when it's serious.
Nick Limone
Honestly, I can't stop. Like, I just was like, I need to bully some people online right now. Like, I need to get some kills in and take their stuff.
Miranda Sanchez
Wow.
Nick Limone
I'm A shoot first, ask questions later. Kind of girly, you know what I mean?
Miranda Sanchez
No, I mean, in Marathon, that's the way to do it for sure, though. But, yeah, you have to be pretty ruthless about it. And I don't think I have the. I have the Procopia issue. I don't have the time to commit yet.
Nick Limone
At a certain point, I've learned quickly. I was like, nah, been on the receiving end of this before. I am the danger.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, I love that. That's. That's so cool.
Nick Limone
One thing that I'd really do, like, the promise of how they've kind of designed the cryo archive is fascinating to me because it's the first time that you are. People are boarding the Marathon in years because the Marathon is, you know, this titular giant ship that has, like, you know, a bunch of stuff in it to explore, but the cryoarchive is just a small portion of it. So it's like, what are they going to do next? It's like, which part of the Marathon is opening up next? And I'm very excited to see all of the new enemy types that continue to pop up. And are we going to see more alien stuff inside of Marathon as, like, are they going to invade Tau Ceti 4? And it's like, all that stuff is just so exciting. And I don't think anyone would be able to pull this off other than Bungie. I think that they're like. The fact that they are doing this has me super pumped.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. And I'm glad people are finding it and vibing with it, because one thing I've said previously, this is a very niche game. Like, this is not a game for everybody by any means. And I think it's good to give it a try because you don't know if you like this kind of game until you try it. Even though it is hard, it is like a very specific kind of challenge, and it's just like a flavor that you have to try before you give up on it. So I'm like, everyone, just give it a try. Just try.
Nick Limone
Squad up. I think having some friends to squat up with is always going to be helpful. But again, there's a character designed for solo runs named the Rook. You. He starts out pretty weak, but as you buy upgrades, you unlock things where it's like, oh, he doesn't bring any gear in with him. All of the stuff that he exfills with is, like, just converted into money. But it's like, such a clever mechanic of how you unlock, like, for people who just want A solo experience. It is perfectly soloable. Cryoarchive, maybe not, but then again there's probably some sicko out there who can
Miranda Sanchez
solo the cryo archive, I think too, if you're interested in the story elements of this, if that's like, man, I just wish this was a single player campaign sort of thing. You can just focus on the contracts, which are kind of like some of the bigger story beats. And then there's collectibles you can find. So even if you're not caring about the gear and the competitive nature, there's still ways to enjoy this game, I think.
Nick Limone
Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
The reason why I was surprised, Nick, is because you're such a Resident Evil guy.
Nick Limone
Yes.
Damon Hatfield
And then leading up to Marathon, there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm for it.
Nick Limone
I wasn't excited for it.
Damon Hatfield
It's the next game from Bungie, but Bungie, you know, Destiny's been kind of struggling. They bringing Marathon back, but it's multiplayer only. But now that people have spent some time with it, the reviews are coming out and it's getting excellent reviews across the board. You love it, apparently. It's great. We have some quote. This is Reece Elliott from Alinea analytics, head of market analysis says Marathon hasn't exactly made the splash Sony and Bungie wanted to. Even if the game underneath the surface is a masterwork of design.
Nick Limone
I agree with that sentiment.
Damon Hatfield
I guess the question is, did they make it too hardcore? Miranda said, it's a niche game, but is it like you say you like games with friction. You like friction, but maybe it's too much friction for casuals.
Nick Limone
I think they might have made a very difficult game, but it feels like it's a game. Like, I think one thing that really shines through with Marathon is Bungie made a game that they want to play. And I always respect the hell out of developers who make the game they want to play, whether or not the audience wants to meet them. The other stuff that comes to mind is like, you know, the original Drakengard, the original Nier stuff that's like a little bit obtuse, has that friction. I just want games to be a little bit meaner.
Miranda Sanchez
I mean that's why we think about like Valve with like Deadlock and Dota. Those are not for everybody. They're hugely popular, but with a very specific kind of people because it's. It takes so much time to be good at it. Like I've played DOTA for like 12, 13 years at this point and I keep going back because that's a thing that I Love. And I feel like people who connect with Marathon will probably feel like the same way. And I hope that Sony and others like kind of looking at Bungie and saying, we understand this is not Arc Raiders. Right. I think Arc Raiders made such a splash because it is very different kind of Extraction Shooter can be nice where it encourages that kind of different kind of play.
Nick Limone
More social.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. And that's not typical of Extraction Shooters. And I think there is still a pretty big audience for them. It's just not like Call of Duty. Right. It's not a Call of Duty audience. It's not going to be that. That is like, it's weird to say is that Call of Duty is like very casual. Right. You can just hop in. The ceiling is very low. It's twitchy. Like, maybe you'll be bad at it, but you can still, like, have a good time with it.
Nick Limone
Yeah, exactly.
Miranda Sanchez
Whereas with Marathon, like, if you're bad, if you're like not into like the high level stress, as you said, or I guess I said that stress, but you said, like, it's. It's kind of like, it's kind of antagonistic, right?
Nick Limone
Yeah. Like it's straight up mean.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, yeah.
Nick Limone
I mean, you lose your stuff forever if you're bad at the game. And that's a reality a lot of people don't want to acknowledge, which I respect. I get it, dude.
Miranda Sanchez
If it's not free, if you're investing your time.
Nick Limone
Yeah, exactly.
Miranda Sanchez
And you lose everything and you're. You're literally saying, I'm signing on to go be mean to people, then think, you know, that's the environment I've always different.
Nick Limone
I've come to terms with. If I have a purple backpack and I die, I don't stress about. I'm like part of the game.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah.
Nick Limone
Part of the game. I'll get back in there, I'll kill someone else and grab their purple backpack.
Miranda Sanchez
Or you can be like me and take the free one every week. Like the free. The free promotion thing. But I mean, that's the thing, right? Like, how can you say that? That's going to be smash it with everybody with like massive waves. And I think that's. That's the delineation because people are like, no, Marina, like, obviously a lot of people like marathons. Like, yes, but it's not the same levels that necessarily these like corporate executives will be looking at as success. Right. So that's, that's the, the push and pull of this kind of conversation.
Damon Hatfield
By all accounts, it's a fantastic game. It's found. It's found its niche. Hopefully, it can thrive within its niche. Doesn't go by the way of the Concords and the high guards and whatnot.
Nick Limone
Fingers crossed.
Miranda Sanchez
No. Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Okay. A couple headlines from today. The Mario Galaxy movie is out one week from today.
Nick Limone
Yes.
Damon Hatfield
I'm very excited. My family have already got our tickets for Friday night. But today, in strange timing, Nintendo confirmed that Fox McCloud is indeed in the movie.
Nick Limone
What the heck?
Damon Hatfield
I know. Which people were guessing a few weeks ago, after a trailer, they're like, that
Nick Limone
elbow looks like Fox McLeod.
Damon Hatfield
An elbow and a leg. People were guessing that. But I don't know. I don't know why they chose today, one week before the movie's out, to confirm that.
Nick Limone
I'm like, bro, let me watch the movie, man.
Damon Hatfield
Maybe just let that go.
Nick Limone
But maybe that just means that there's other Nintendo cameos in it as well that they are saving. Are we going to see Samus Aran?
Damon Hatfield
Well, they're in space.
Nick Limone
I don't know.
Damon Hatfield
Don't give me hope. Don't give me hope. They could land on a Pikmin planet.
Nick Limone
That'd be a while.
Miranda Sanchez
They've showed Pikmin already.
Damon Hatfield
Oh, really?
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Oh, I didn't realize that.
Nick Limone
Wait, what?
Miranda Sanchez
They confirmed Pikmin are in this?
Nick Limone
Oh, my goodness. I love Movie of the Year.
Miranda Sanchez
To your point, I think they are showing too much. I'm like, yeah, I think they're showing popular. Obviously. Everyone's so excited for this.
Damon Hatfield
I don't think anyone was on the fence and was like, oh, well, now that Fox McCloud is in it.
Nick Limone
Now I'm going, yeah, now all the star Fox fans are like, well, now I have to see the Mario movie.
Damon Hatfield
I'm hopeful. I was surprised by how much I liked the first one. And then when the first trailers came out for the second, I was kind of like, I don't know. But nope, now I'm back on board. I'm on board. I'm back in, baby.
Nick Limone
I love it.
Miranda Sanchez
The Luma are so cute. I think they did a great job
Nick Limone
making them vicious, the little emo dude.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
And then, Nick, there's another headline today that's more relevant to you and I and to gamescoop. I don't know if you saw this.
Nick Limone
Hit me.
Damon Hatfield
This is real. This is announced just a couple hours ago, for real, our new RPG Maker project. Announced, of course, Miranda, RPG Maker was the video game 20 Questions game from a couple weeks ago.
Miranda Sanchez
And we were talking about how that's actually really fun.
Nick Limone
It stumped us all.
Damon Hatfield
It started on the PlayStation and then it's just been keep. It's been going on and on. There's like dozens of RPG makers. Yeah, they just announced the latest one.
Nick Limone
Hey, respect to the people who are out there grinding on their rpg, please release it. You know, I think some of the greatest video games, like to the Moon is this indie game that came out, well, like maybe 10, 15 years ago at this point. And I believe it was designed and created in RPG Maker. And it's this beautiful like two hour experience that tells this like tear jerky story. And it's just like, wow, someone really wet ham an RPG maker. There's no fighting in it. It's just an avenue of telling the story. And I really appreciate how people think outside the box.
Miranda Sanchez
If you want to cry. Yeah, that's on my IGM playlist for games to cry too.
Nick Limone
Oh, it's so good.
Miranda Sanchez
It's beautiful. But yeah, I was like, wait, RPG Maker, really?
Nick Limone
What year is this? Are they like Madden now where it's like 2026?
Damon Hatfield
They're just calling it RPG Maker New Project. There's no release window or platforms. However, would you like to know what the big new feature is?
Nick Limone
What is the new feature?
Damon Hatfield
You can now use RPG Maker to make HD 2D pixel art.
Nick Limone
Okay, that's really cool. And I'm very excited for someone else to design a game that I will inevitably play. Couldn't be me. I think if it hit me when I was like a kid, I would spend way too much time making a game. But alas, those days are gone.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, I've been cooking up something special for you two in the trolley oven over here.
Nick Limone
What you got?
Damon Hatfield
I'm going to walk over to this oven and open it. I don't know if you want to track me over, if that's possible. Here I go. Give me one moment. Cooking up something special. I think it's ready. Smells like it's smells something. Yeah, it smells like it's ready. Making the whole PAX arena smell. Just delicious in. Here we go.
Nick Limone
He's cooking.
Damon Hatfield
Here we go. Here we go. Okay, okay. Everyone knows we end IGN Gamescoop with a round of Video Game 20 Questions. During these live shows though, we find that something else works really well. Video game. Who am I? I've selected a famous video game character for both of you. And you will have. You can ask as many yes or no questions as you need to determine who you are. And I, and anyone that's here can help you, help you. So that all makes sense here. Yeah, let's let Miranda go first.
Nick Limone
I'm a little bit stressed about this.
Damon Hatfield
Why?
Nick Limone
Why?
Damon Hatfield
Why?
Nick Limone
Because every time I've had to do this in a live audience, I'm like, I think I couldn't get Donkey Kong at IGN Live.
Miranda Sanchez
I was like, oh, God. So I forgot everybody who existed in video games. I'm a fake gamer.
Damon Hatfield
Oh, no. Okay, I'm going to. For both of you, close your eyes for one second, both of you. Okay. Okay, here we go. Here we go.
Miranda Sanchez
Here.
Damon Hatfield
Okay. All right. We're going to have Miranda go first. So Miranda, keep your eyes closed. Okay, Nick can open.
Nick Limone
Great.
Damon Hatfield
And let's see who Miranda is. Okay, here we go. Here we go.
Nick Limone
All right.
Damon Hatfield
All right, everybody, you're on board.
Nick Limone
Yeah, I got it.
Damon Hatfield
Is all of Pax on board?
Nick Limone
Yeah. Hey, if you guys are watching from the fan area, come to the front for this one.
Miranda Sanchez
Yes. Please come help me.
Damon Hatfield
Okay. Okay, Miranda, you may open your eyes. We all know who you are. We will help you determine.
Nick Limone
Okay, you guys all got that, right? You saw who it was. Okay. Okay, no cheating. No cheating.
Damon Hatfield
No one yell it out. We're all helping her. We're all helping her. Here we go.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay. Are they aquatic?
Nick Limone
No.
Damon Hatfield
No.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they very popular? A little obtuse.
Damon Hatfield
They have their audience.
Nick Limone
They have their fans.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay, are they gendered?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Yes.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they female?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Female?
Miranda Sanchez
Yes. Okay. Do they wear a dress?
Damon Hatfield
No, I don't think they wear a dress.
Miranda Sanchez
Not really.
Damon Hatfield
No dress?
Miranda Sanchez
No dress?
Nick Limone
No dress.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they humanoid?
Nick Limone
Yes. Yes.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they from a Nintendo game?
Nick Limone
Nintendo game? Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Well, do you think in the way that she's thinking of a Nintendo game?
Miranda Sanchez
Are they on Nintendo systems?
Nick Limone
They are on Nintendo systems.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they a multi platform character?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Multi platform.
Miranda Sanchez
I'm not really helping myself here, I think. Do they have magical powers or do
Nick Limone
they have magical powers?
Miranda Sanchez
Yes.
Nick Limone
Yes. An astounding yes.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, God, this is really hard.
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Miranda Sanchez
So no dresses. Female, humanoid. Magical powers. Do they use a gun?
Damon Hatfield
Oh, yeah.
Nick Limone
Do they use a gun?
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Oh, yeah.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they romanticable?
Damon Hatfield
No, I don't think so. No, I don't think so.
Miranda Sanchez
Not romanceable.
Damon Hatfield
Unfortunately.
Miranda Sanchez
They're not a main character. Right?
Nick Limone
Well, are they a main character?
Miranda Sanchez
Yes, they are. But they're not someone's favorite, probably.
Damon Hatfield
No, they have their audience.
Nick Limone
They have their audience, for sure.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they from a AAA game,
Nick Limone
Maybe AAA game?
Damon Hatfield
Aaa?
Nick Limone
Everyone's like, I don't think so. No, I wouldn't classify it as a AAA game. Yeah. Nah.
Miranda Sanchez
Ooh. Okay. Would not classify as the aaa, can I ask what developer they're from?
Damon Hatfield
You could ask, is it from.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay, okay, okay. Is it from. That's hard. If I'm not doing aaa, it's like double. Oh, God. But the land developers can do non specific guns.
Nick Limone
They got guns.
Miranda Sanchez
They've got guns.
Nick Limone
They got their audience. She's got her audience.
Damon Hatfield
Yep. Not romanceable, but a lot of people probably would like to.
Nick Limone
A lot of people would like to.
Miranda Sanchez
Who has magic powers and guns? A lot of guns.
Nick Limone
Who could it possibly be?
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, no. I feel, like, really dumb now.
Nick Limone
See, it's hard in front of a live audience.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they wearing pants?
Damon Hatfield
Yeah, pants. Your pants.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they pants? Oh, not really. Okay, okay. Yeah.
Nick Limone
Fair, fair.
Miranda Sanchez
I mean, no, pants. Pants are like ankle, ankle length. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Yeah, it's like. No, I'm talking about tights. No, well, tights are different. They wear a bodysuit.
Nick Limone
Yes, yes. Bodysuit.
Miranda Sanchez
Yes, they're wearing a bodysuit. They have magical powers. They can shoot.
Damon Hatfield
Emphasis on body.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay. Oh, do they have a high ponytail?
Nick Limone
High ponytail.
Miranda Sanchez
Are they very popular on. Wait, do they. Can they wear a swimsuit? Can they wear lingerie in their game?
Damon Hatfield
I don't know.
Nick Limone
Can't you wear lingerie? I would say it's.
Miranda Sanchez
It's like one of her Is one of her. Does she have many outfits?
Nick Limone
Yes, she has many outfits. That's correct.
Miranda Sanchez
Is she from Stellar Blade?
Damon Hatfield
No.
Miranda Sanchez
No. Okay.
Damon Hatfield
She was trying to get on E.
Miranda Sanchez
I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Well, saying that's maybe a ballpark.
Miranda Sanchez
Ballpark. Yeah.
Nick Limone
It's very much of the same ilk of character.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay. Yeah. Because I was like, well, if you want to date her, she has her fans. She's not wearing a dress to. Technically, you're on the very tight bodysuit.
Nick Limone
I can feel it.
Miranda Sanchez
I'm like next door and I don't know which door to look on. Oh, does she have glasses?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Yes. Glasses.
Miranda Sanchez
Is she bayonetta?
Nick Limone
Yes, Bayonetta.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, my God. I can't believe I got that.
Nick Limone
Thank you. Well done. Well done.
Miranda Sanchez
Thank you for identifying that. Those are not pants. Those are not pants.
Damon Hatfield
This is not pants.
Miranda Sanchez
But, like, if I answered any other
Nick Limone
way, it might trip you up. So I was like, oh, she needs to be a little more specific with her ask.
Miranda Sanchez
Don't worry, I'm a fashion girl. I know.
Nick Limone
Perfect.
Damon Hatfield
But also, isn't it really her hair?
Nick Limone
It is her hair when it really
Damon Hatfield
comes down in her hair.
Nick Limone
Correct.
Damon Hatfield
So that's why I said bodysuit.
Nick Limone
It's sexual.
Miranda Sanchez
Clothing, A literal bodysuit.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, nicely done. Nicely job you got there.
Nick Limone
Yeah. Very well done.
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Claps all around.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, Nick.
Nick Limone
Oh, man, this is too much. All right, I'm covered.
Miranda Sanchez
If I can do it, you can do it.
Damon Hatfield
Let's find out who you are.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, okay.
Nick Limone
Oh, I don't like this at all.
Damon Hatfield
All right, everybody good? Everyone's good. Okay.
Nick Limone
Okay.
Damon Hatfield
Okay. All right, Nick. Let the questioning begin.
Nick Limone
Am I an obscure character? Oh, great. You gave me the hard one. Let's see. Am I a humanoid character? Humanoid. Not humanoid?
Miranda Sanchez
Nope. No, not really. No.
Nick Limone
Am I a gendered character?
Damon Hatfield
No. Okay, well, wait a minute.
Nick Limone
Wait a minute.
Miranda Sanchez
Wait a minute.
Damon Hatfield
Wait a minute. Yeah, okay.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Okay. Due to the name, that.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, that's a good.
Damon Hatfield
The name gives us gender specific. The name. The name gives us a hint. Due to the name, it is gender specific. The name is. The name is a big hint.
Miranda Sanchez
But appearance is not.
Nick Limone
Okay, okay, guess. Am. Am I like, like a blob? Okay. Am I an enemy?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Okay. I am an enemy. Am I from an rpg?
Damon Hatfield
Technically, yes. Technically, yes. But that's not what you would be known for. That's a hint in itself.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, I like. I like the question.
Nick Limone
I'm sweating, man. I can't do this. This is too much pressure. Everyone's looking at me. Okay, okay. Am I in a good game?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Great. Okay. I'm a good game.
Miranda Sanchez
That's a good question.
Nick Limone
I'm a bad. Am I. I'm a bad guy. I'm non gen. Well, I might be gender. Based on my name.
Damon Hatfield
He's a bad guy.
Nick Limone
Bad guy. Bad guy. Okay, let me see. Think of a question. Let's see, let's see. Do I have a game that came out recently?
Damon Hatfield
Really?
Nick Limone
Oh, no.
Damon Hatfield
See, audience says yes. I can't think of it.
Nick Limone
I'm out in the fields, man. I don't know what I'm doing now.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, I mean, yeah.
Nick Limone
Okay, I need to narrow this down. I need to narrow this down.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. Give.
Nick Limone
Do I do. Does my character wear a hat? Do I wear a hat? No. No. That help me
Damon Hatfield
try to get into a franchise?
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. Try to think about, like, the narrowing down.
Nick Limone
Okay. Am I in a Nintendo game?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Okay. Am I from a well known Nintendo franchise?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Okay. Am I from a Mario game?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Okay. There's a Goomb. There's Goombas. There's Koopa. Troopas. There's Bowser. Bowser Jr. Am I like. Am I in the Mario movie?
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, man.
Nick Limone
Okay.
Damon Hatfield
Not that obscure.
Nick Limone
I don't think Kamek in my kamek. Okay. Am I one of Bowser's minions? Yes.
Damon Hatfield
Okay.
Miranda Sanchez
How many guesses do you get until
Nick Limone
I get it right and I feel good about myself?
Miranda Sanchez
All right, you can do it. You can do it.
Nick Limone
Am I a dead character?
Damon Hatfield
No.
Nick Limone
Okay.
Miranda Sanchez
That's a good question.
Nick Limone
I'm not like, no dry bones. Chain Chomp. What's a gender name? Mario?
Miranda Sanchez
Is Chain Chomp dead?
Damon Hatfield
Yeah. What is.
Nick Limone
No Dry buns.
Miranda Sanchez
I was gonna say.
Nick Limone
What? Dry bugs is what I was thinking.
Damon Hatfield
We regret to inform you that Chain Chomp has passed away.
Nick Limone
Gender, Name, character.
Damon Hatfield
Yes. Yes. Okay. Use the hack.
Nick Limone
Wait, what's the hack? Have I asked the question?
Damon Hatfield
Have I named the character yet?
Nick Limone
Have I named the character yet?
Damon Hatfield
No. So there. Knowing that, where do you go from there?
Nick Limone
Let's see. There's Birdo. Am I Birdo? Am I the name? That's the part that's tripping me up. I'm like, who has.
Miranda Sanchez
It's more about characteristics.
Nick Limone
Is boy in my name?
Miranda Sanchez
No.
Nick Limone
Is something masculine in my name? Yes.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay, so it's a perceived.
Nick Limone
A perceived male, usually character. Oh, my gosh. I'm blanking on every. Mario. I thought I could get this. All right. We're so close. We're so close. I had a game recently, too. Oh, yeah? Mario Wonder just came out. Shoot, Mario.
Miranda Sanchez
You can do it. You're so close. You're so close.
Nick Limone
Bowser.
Miranda Sanchez
Minion.
Nick Limone
I'm a bad guy. Guy. Shy guy.
Damon Hatfield
Yes. It took me forever.
Nick Limone
I appreciate all of your patience with
Miranda Sanchez
me on that one hard one.
Nick Limone
Yeah, the guy. You say it a couple times like, say that again.
Damon Hatfield
He's a bad guy.
Nick Limone
Say that again. Thank you all for your help. I really needed that.
Miranda Sanchez
It's like I call everyone guys, but also still like guys. Technically masculine.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah. There's this guy.
Nick Limone
Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Well, nicely job.
Nick Limone
Thank you very much.
Miranda Sanchez
You did it.
Nick Limone
Thank you very much. Thank you all for the help.
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This episode is brought to you by Redfin. You're listening to a podcast, which means you're probably multitasking, maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving homes without expecting to get them. But Redfin isn't just built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home with agents who close twice as many deals. When you find the one, you've got a real shot at getting it. Get started@redfin.com, own the dream protein is
Damon Hatfield
now at Starbucks, and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes.
Nick Limone
Lattes or matcha.
Damon Hatfield
Try it today at Starbucks. Oh, my gosh. Let's see what is next on the agenda. You know, we've got the Nintendo booth over there. They're showing off Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Nintendo Switch 2 Edition meetup at Bellabelle Park.
Nick Limone
Rolls off the tongue. It rolls off the tongue.
Damon Hatfield
So in honor of that game coming out and in honor of the new Mario Galaxy movie, we're gonna do some Mario trivia.
Nick Limone
Well, I thought I was gonna do okay at this, but turns out I don't know Mario.
Damon Hatfield
All right, we got three rounds, and each round has three questions for each of you.
Nick Limone
Here.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, God.
Damon Hatfield
We'll see how long this all take. Okay, so round one. Nick, you're gonna go first.
Nick Limone
Okay, let's do this.
Damon Hatfield
First question, Mario trivia. In the original Super Mario Brothers, Mario needs to save the princess because only she can save. What?
Nick Limone
What the heck? Only she can. Save the kingdom. Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
Yes. But what has happened? Why does the kingdom need saving?
Nick Limone
Because Bowser has taken it over.
Damon Hatfield
What?
Nick Limone
No. Bowser has turned everyone into coin blocks,
Damon Hatfield
and only she can turn them back.
Nick Limone
Yes.
Damon Hatfield
Yes. Yeah. Okay, okay, I'll count it. I'll count it.
Nick Limone
I know that they're all. You're killing things when you hit stuff with your head in Mario.
Miranda Sanchez
What?
Nick Limone
Yeah, all of the citizens.
Damon Hatfield
Those are all. Those are all toads. Yeah. I've been turning smashing.
Nick Limone
So Mario is ruthlessly killing everyone.
Miranda Sanchez
You guys. I. So I'm. I never got to play those because I was quite young when. Well, I was not born when they were out. And then also I was quite young, and my parents just never got those. I did not know that. That is insane.
Damon Hatfield
The instruction manual tells us this.
Nick Limone
That's going to be the end of credit scene of Mario of the Mario movies. You see, you've killed everyone.
Damon Hatfield
What have I done?
Miranda Sanchez
RIP instruction manual. That's critical information.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, Miranda.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah.
Damon Hatfield
What we know Is Super Mario Bros. 2 was not a Mario game in Japan.
Nick Limone
I knew you were going to ask this.
Damon Hatfield
What was its original Japanese name?
Miranda Sanchez
I actually know this, but I don't remember what it is. This is terrible. I know.
Nick Limone
It's something about a heartbeat.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. Doki. Doki Panic. Yes.
Damon Hatfield
Yes. Well done.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, my gosh. I can't believe I knew that.
Nick Limone
I legit Tayo, the producer. I was like, I bet you he's gonna ask the Doki Doki Panic question.
Miranda Sanchez
You know, this is like, one of those times where I'm like, oh, yeah, you actually are smarter than you think you are. So you got enough stuff.
Damon Hatfield
All right.
Miranda Sanchez
Nick's a great host, so, you know, moving right along.
Damon Hatfield
Nick, in what game was Bowser Jr. First introduced?
Nick Limone
Super Mario Sunshine.
Damon Hatfield
Yes. That is correct. Boom. That is correct.
Nick Limone
And he's wearing a cool bandana over his mouth. He's awesome.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah. He looks cool in the movie, too.
Nick Limone
Yeah, he does.
Damon Hatfield
All right, Miranda. Super Mario. I should have told you. The whole theme to this first round is Super Mario games. Just so you know.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, okay.
Damon Hatfield
It's all gonna be about Super Mario games.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, no.
Damon Hatfield
Miranda, Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in North America in 1990, but those of us who were there, we got our first look at gameplay a year earlier. In what movie?
Miranda Sanchez
I do not know this. I was not alive.
Damon Hatfield
That featured the Power Glove.
Nick Limone
It's so bad.
Miranda Sanchez
That featured the Power Glove. The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Nick Limone
You would think so.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah. You would think so. No, it was in the Fred Savage vehicle, and Christian Slater was in it, too. The Wizard. They showed it in the Wizard.
Nick Limone
Not a good movie.
Damon Hatfield
It's all about.
Miranda Sanchez
Say, I know that one.
Damon Hatfield
It's all about a road trip to a video game tournament. And they play Super Mario 3 in it for a full year before it came out here.
Nick Limone
Oh, wow. They play in, like, a PlayChoice 10, don't they?
Damon Hatfield
I think so.
Nick Limone
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Miranda Sanchez
That's sick.
Nick Limone
Okay, I'm gonna watch that now.
Damon Hatfield
Two more questions in round one. Nick, where is Yoshi from
Nick Limone
an island? Yoshi's Island.
Damon Hatfield
He's from a named place that's in the instruction manual.
Nick Limone
Oh, man. I don't.
Miranda Sanchez
These are deep cuts.
Damon Hatfield
It's where Mario and Luigi go in Super Mario World.
Nick Limone
I genuinely don't know any proper nouns, like, of locations other than the mushroom Kingdom it describes.
Damon Hatfield
It's based on what?
Nick Limone
Yoshi is a Dino Land.
Damon Hatfield
It's Dinoland.
Nick Limone
Yes, because the opening crawl has, like, you're in Dino Land, Mario. Something like that. Thank you. Guys. Thank you, guys.
Damon Hatfield
And finally, Miranda, in Mario 64, what does Nintendo call the levels? They don't call them levels.
Nick Limone
Whoa, I didn't know.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, that's a good question. So this is when I did play. I played a lot of Mario. So 64. Not worlds. Not worlds.
Nick Limone
That's what I would have said levels,
Miranda Sanchez
but cuz it's not.
Damon Hatfield
It call.
Miranda Sanchez
They wouldn't call them the paintings. Do they call them paintings?
Damon Hatfield
No.
Miranda Sanchez
That's what you jump into.
Nick Limone
I don't know this. Yeah.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh yeah. I have no idea.
Damon Hatfield
Courses.
Miranda Sanchez
Courses.
Damon Hatfield
They call them courses.
Nick Limone
That's like the kid who grew up calling them like, oh, you got extra mans. I was like, what? It's a life, bro. What are you doing?
Damon Hatfield
Okay, everybody's doing great round True. Now. Now this is about games that are based on Mario's extracurricular activities. So not Super Mario games.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay.
Damon Hatfield
All the other stuff that he's up to.
Nick Limone
Okay.
Damon Hatfield
And we're going to increase the points. You've got your questions 4, 5 and 6. And that's what these questions are worth now. So you can jump back in the game. Miranda, if you get this right, Nick, before Mario Bros. The original Mario Brothers game, Mario starred in two arcade games before that. Can you name them? Can you name them both?
Nick Limone
Donkey Kong and. Oh, oh, shoot. Not Jump man, because that's his name in Donkey Kong. Is it just Mario Bros. No, the
Damon Hatfield
question is before Mario.
Nick Limone
Before Mario Bros.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, it was in two arcade games. One was Donkey Kong and the other was.
Nick Limone
Is it like. I don't. Oh, I early nes. What are the games?
Damon Hatfield
Gyromite Arcade game. This is before the nes.
Nick Limone
This is the arcade game.
Damon Hatfield
Miranda seems like she knows it.
Miranda Sanchez
I might. I don't know. I'm curious about the answer because I think I might know what it is, but maybe not. I could be completely off base.
Nick Limone
Honestly, I'm too on the spot and I don't want to keep the show up. So what is it?
Damon Hatfield
What is it? What do you think it is, Miranda?
Miranda Sanchez
Is it like Plumberman?
Damon Hatfield
No, it's Donkey Kong junior Donkey Kong junior. I thought there was some fun compared to Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr.
Nick Limone
Before Mario, Donkey Kong had a son. Before Mario got his own game. What the heck?
Miranda Sanchez
Heck. I actually didn't know that. That's crazy.
Nick Limone
That's cute.
Damon Hatfield
All right, Miranda. After Super Mario Brothers 3, Mario took a job at a surprising location where after three.
Nick Limone
Cuz they're lore questions now.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh my gosh. Cuz it's like I know he was a doctor but Dr. Mario at a
Damon Hatfield
hospital, the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital is. Already took it.
Miranda Sanchez
So.
Nick Limone
Yeah, well done.
Damon Hatfield
That's worth four points.
Miranda Sanchez
I love Dr. Murray.
Damon Hatfield
That puts Miranda ahead. Miranda has five points. I got one question wrong. Five to three.
Nick Limone
All right, I gotta come back.
Miranda Sanchez
I was like, man, like. I was like, he's gonna go for the deep cuts. I didn't play the early ones. I played the new ones. And. Okay, Nick, it's working out.
Damon Hatfield
What was Mario's first sports game?
Miranda Sanchez
Ooh, tennis.
Damon Hatfield
No, it's not tennis. It was NES Open Tournament Golf.
Miranda Sanchez
I knew it. Weirdly, I knew that one, too.
Damon Hatfield
Really? Oh, my gosh, dude.
Nick Limone
I'm struggling, dude. I got people. Anyone who's listening to the podcast is screaming in their car right now.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, Miranda, Mario put his name on a puzzle game for Game Boy. What was it?
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, I don't know this one.
Nick Limone
Oh, thank God.
Damon Hatfield
That one was Mario's Picross. Picross.
Miranda Sanchez
I didn't realize it was all the way back then.
Damon Hatfield
Yep, that's true.
Miranda Sanchez
Wow.
Damon Hatfield
All right, Nick, you could get six points here if you get this.
Nick Limone
All right, all right.
Damon Hatfield
Mario put his name on two Virtual Boy games.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, God. Wow. It's, like, weird, because it's like, new is old again or old is new again.
Nick Limone
But also, Mario Tennis. Yes, that's one of them.
Damon Hatfield
Yep. And
Nick Limone
Mario. I mean, it's got to be, like, an existing game still to this day, right? So it's like Mario Golf.
Damon Hatfield
No, it was Mario Clash.
Nick Limone
Yeah, I never. I never would have got that. I never would have got that.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah. All right, Miranda, how many Mario parties were released on Nintendo 64?
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, my God. One.
Damon Hatfield
The first three. The first three were all on Nintendo 64.
Miranda Sanchez
One or three? Dang it. Close.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, round three. Miranda has five points. Nick has three.
Nick Limone
All right, time to make a comeback.
Damon Hatfield
Now, these questions all have multiple correct answers, and you'll get a point for each. So, Nick, how many Super Mario advance games can you name with their full titles?
Nick Limone
Super Mario Advance. 4. That's one of them. Correct.
Damon Hatfield
But what's the subtitle?
Nick Limone
Super Super Mario advance for Super Mario World.
Damon Hatfield
No.
Miranda Sanchez
Can you call it one from the audience? Like a one? Is there one from the audience we can grab, maybe?
Damon Hatfield
What do you mean, grab one from the audience?
Nick Limone
How close?
Miranda Sanchez
Can we get a freebie?
Nick Limone
Let me get a freebie, man. Okay, does anyone know I need to call a lifeline?
Damon Hatfield
All right. What is life? Yes.
Nick Limone
Wait, hold on, hold on.
Damon Hatfield
He's showing you. He's showing you. Hold on.
Nick Limone
I'm gonna call him. I'm phoning a friend.
Damon Hatfield
Give you baseball.
Nick Limone
Sign who are you? And introduce yourself.
Damon Hatfield
My name is Dan.
Nick Limone
Nice to meet you. Hi, Dan. Nice to meet you. What's the answer to this one? This one is Super Mario Advance 4. Super Mario Bros. 3.
Damon Hatfield
That's correct.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, my God. That's incredible. Wait, someone knows this. We gotta get this.
Nick Limone
Hopefully someone asked me about Mario Game Boy advance games. Well done. Well done.
Damon Hatfield
You have to be able to get at least one point here. What would the first one be? What would the first one be?
Nick Limone
Super Mario Advanced. Super Mario.
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Super Mario. Or also there's Mario Kart Advance. Does that count?
Damon Hatfield
That's not. No.
Nick Limone
Okay, okay.
Damon Hatfield
Super Mario Brothers Advance. Gotcha.
Nick Limone
Gotcha.
Miranda Sanchez
Nice.
Damon Hatfield
Any others you can get?
Nick Limone
Super Mario Advance 2. The lost level. All right, I'm holding this up too much now.
Damon Hatfield
We'll give you one point for that one. All right. Okay.
Nick Limone
Thank you, dad.
Damon Hatfield
You guys are tied. 5. Super Mario Advance. Super Mario Advance 2. Super Mario World. Super Mario Advance 3. Yoshi's Island. Super Mario Advance 4. Super Mario Bros. 3. I don't know why that's confusing.
Nick Limone
Mario also has dialogue. Like he's. He has, like, a speaking role in those games. They added that to the GBA games. And it is the most annoying sound on Game Boy Advance. It's horrible.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, Miranda.
Miranda Sanchez
Yes.
Damon Hatfield
Name The Mario Party is released on GameCube. And, you know, the first three were on N64.
Nick Limone
Oh, that's like extra points. That's easy.
Miranda Sanchez
Mario Party 4. Mario Party 5. Mario Party 6.
Nick Limone
Yep.
Miranda Sanchez
Is that it?
Damon Hatfield
Is it?
Miranda Sanchez
Bro?
Nick Limone
She just has to keep naming them, and she's Mario Party six. What the heck?
Damon Hatfield
Yep.
Miranda Sanchez
Mario Party eight.
Damon Hatfield
No, just four through seven.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay, wait, I don't think eight's there.
Nick Limone
You just gotta name numbers.
Damon Hatfield
That's not fair.
Nick Limone
What the heck?
Miranda Sanchez
Eight. I'm the guest.
Nick Limone
All right, all right, fair enough. Fair enough.
Damon Hatfield
Oh, and you got a free point, Nick, so.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. Yeah. I worked hard for you to get that free point.
Nick Limone
Dan traveled to PAX just to give me that answer.
Miranda Sanchez
Yay. Thanks, Dan.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, Nick. Mario had three sports games on gamecube.
Nick Limone
Mario. Super Mario Strikers.
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Mario. It's not.
Damon Hatfield
Bastard. I'm sorry. My own notes. Wrong. He had four games. Four sports games on gamecube.
Nick Limone
There's a basketball game, but I don't remember the full name. It's like. It's not Mario Hoops.
Damon Hatfield
That's not one of them.
Nick Limone
Oh, that's a 3ds game. Then Mario Tennis.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah.
Nick Limone
Sports game. So I got soccer I got tennis. Mario Baseball.
Damon Hatfield
Yep.
Nick Limone
Now I'm just naming sports. Mario. I think there's a football game, but I. I don't know the name.
Miranda Sanchez
Really?
Nick Limone
I think so. What? Other Mario Football?
Damon Hatfield
No. Mario Golf.
Nick Limone
Mario Golf. Oh, duh. But he always has a golf game.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah.
Nick Limone
All right, fair enough.
Miranda Sanchez
Wait, does he have a boat? I don't think he has a football game.
Nick Limone
Is that the only Mario. Is that the only sport? Mario's never.
Damon Hatfield
Mario Football game. No, football.
Nick Limone
Right.
Miranda Sanchez
I think I would know that.
Nick Limone
Mario. They probably do like, rugby or something.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, so nine to eight. Miranda. Very close game. Miranda, There are four Nintendo DS games that start with Mario. And how many can you name?
Nick Limone
Oh, man, this is. Ah, I know this one.
Damon Hatfield
You know this one?
Miranda Sanchez
I actually don't know this one.
Damon Hatfield
None of them.
Miranda Sanchez
Mario and Luigi.
Damon Hatfield
Yep.
Miranda Sanchez
That's one.
Damon Hatfield
Yeah, we'll count it.
Miranda Sanchez
What about Mario and Yoshi?
Nick Limone
Nope.
Damon Hatfield
Nope.
Miranda Sanchez
I don't know any of these. I don't know these.
Damon Hatfield
Mario and Luigi. Partners in time.
Miranda Sanchez
Partners in time.
Damon Hatfield
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Mario and Luigi Bowser's Inside.
Miranda Sanchez
Yes.
Damon Hatfield
Mario and Luigi Bowser's Inside Story. Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games.
Miranda Sanchez
Oh, my gosh.
Damon Hatfield
I'll give you one for that.
Miranda Sanchez
I'll take the one. I'll take it.
Damon Hatfield
10. Tate, last two questions. Final two questions. Here we go. Nick. Mario starred in 2007 alone that one year, Mario starred in a whopping five games for the Nintendo Wii.
Nick Limone
Ah. You name them?
Damon Hatfield
Yeah. How many can you name? 2007 and one we talked about.
Nick Limone
Super Mario Galaxy.
Damon Hatfield
That's one.
Nick Limone
Super Paper Mario.
Damon Hatfield
Yes.
Nick Limone
Wow. Mario and Sonic at the Olymp Winter Olympics.
Damon Hatfield
At the Olympics, Yes.
Nick Limone
I think that was like the Brazil one, right?
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah, I forgot those games existed.
Damon Hatfield
Remember, one is always on every Mario Golf. No, no, sorry I missed it.
Nick Limone
Mario Tennis.
Damon Hatfield
Is that. No, no.
Nick Limone
Did I.
Damon Hatfield
You got three.
Nick Limone
Does that put me in the lead?
Damon Hatfield
Yeah, right now.
Nick Limone
Okay, I will just end there because
Miranda Sanchez
I want to get back on the side.
Nick Limone
Yeah, exactly. I want the drama, you know.
Miranda Sanchez
Okay, well, I have admitted to having limited Maro knowledge. That is some, because that's all just randomly.
Nick Limone
But also, I also genuinely don't know anymore. So what were the other ones? Sorry.
Miranda Sanchez
Mario Party.
Damon Hatfield
Mario Party. Mario Party eight. And Mario Strikers charged.
Miranda Sanchez
Ah, so close.
Damon Hatfield
Okay, so the final question for all the marvels, the current score is 11 to 10. Nick is one point ahead. Miranda, how many New Super Mario Brothers games can you name?
Miranda Sanchez
New Super Mario Bros. Oh, no, not more advanced.
Nick Limone
That's going to Give her two more
Miranda Sanchez
New Super Mario Bros. New New Super Mario Bros. Wait, Wonder was. No. Wonder was not new, right? No, it's not one of them. Gosh. I. I have one. I can see it. I don't remember what it's called. I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. These are the ones I. I hate saying it. It's like these are the ones I ignore. So I just want the odysseys of the world.
Nick Limone
Same you're.
Miranda Sanchez
I can see it. I can see it. I can't say it.
Damon Hatfield
There should be at least one you can name
Miranda Sanchez
because it's not Wonder, obviously, but New Super Mario Bros. I'm sorry, I can't do it.
Damon Hatfield
I'll count that as one. Guess.
Nick Limone
What the heck?
Damon Hatfield
New Brothers. And yes, that's one of them. That'll tie you. I'm just Mario Bros. 11 to 11.
Miranda Sanchez
Thanks. David's the best.
Damon Hatfield
The others could be New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. 2 on 3DS, new Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is all those.
Miranda Sanchez
New Deluxe. Dang. Woo. What?
Nick Limone
I was sweating.
Miranda Sanchez
Yeah. Cause Wonder is just Super Mario Bros. Yeah. Yeah.
Nick Limone
Super Mario Wonder.
Damon Hatfield
Nice job, both of you. Tie game 11 to 11. Yes. Yeah. Give it up. Give it up for them.
Nick Limone
Thank you. Thank you.
Damon Hatfield
That's hard to do. Well done. Well done doing. Who am I in Mario Trivia? Back to back. That's a lot on the spot.
Miranda Sanchez
It's stressful.
Damon Hatfield
Everything's done now. That pretty much wraps us up, Nick, for the end of our PAX east gamescoop here at the Trolley Sour House. What else is on the agenda?
Nick Limone
What do we need to wrap up with? Well, good news, if you are still here at PAX tomorrow. I know IGN gamescoop is the only podcast. However, we do have Podcast Unlocked shooting tomorrow with Miranda, Michael Hyam and Seth Macy who will be here 1pm we plan on shooting. So if you are at PAX, if you're here, come on back. We'd love to have you.
Damon Hatfield
It's not that hard. Gamescape is the only podcast and we have other podcasts. That's how it works.
Nick Limone
There you go.
Damon Hatfield
Guys, thank you so much for hanging out with us today. Always good to see you.
Nick Limone
Thank you all so much.
Damon Hatfield
Thank you to Trolley for having us. Thank you, Nick. Thank you, Miranda. Thank you. Oh, God. Sarah Tayo, everyone from IGN here, working behind the scenes to make this episode possible. My name is Damon, this is IGN gamescoop. And we're out.
Nick Limone
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Co. No matter how you do game day, on the couch, in the crowd or manning the snack table, Athletic Brewing fits right in with a full lineup of non alcoholic beer styles you can enjoy bold flavors all game long. No hangovers, no buzz, no subbing out for water in the second half.
Damon Hatfield
Stock the fridge for tip off with
Nick Limone
a variety of non alcoholic craft styles. Available at your local grocery store or online at athleticbrewing. Com Near Beer Fit for All Times.
Host: Damon Hatfield
Panelists: Nick Limone, Miranda Sanchez
Location: The Trolley Sour House, PAX East
This special live edition of IGN’s Game Scoop! brings the crew—and a raucous PAX East audience—together for a jam-packed episode featuring the latest gaming headlines, in-depth discussions on recent releases, and the Ultimate Mario Trivia Challenge. Alongside news and lively retrospectives, the episode spotlights game chat (Pokémon, Tomodachi Life, Resident Evil, Marathon), audience game segments (“Who Am I?”), and marathon Mario-themed trivia, all captured with signature Game Scoop! energy.
(03:41–04:43)
(04:43–12:32)
Damon: “I've played it a lot. You've been playing it. I love it. And I'm not a Pokémon guy.” (04:53)
Nick: Praises the game's shift away from traditional combat, likening it to "Viva Piñata": “This is such a natural next iteration of what they learned with each Dragon Quest Builder.” (06:00)
Miranda: A Pokémon fan with 70+ hours played, stresses its flexibility and accessibility: “You don't have to progress. You can take it really at your own pace... It feels like you can get things built up really well based on the elements you care about.” (06:38)
Memorable Moment: Miranda details “time travel” in-game for events, comparing it to Animal Crossing but noting Pocopia’s lack of penalties.
Pokémon Spin-Offs vs. Mainline: Panel agrees Pocopia is a “breath of fresh air,” highlighting its beautiful visuals and renewed interactivity with Pokémon often missing from new main titles.
Notable Quote:
(13:15–17:15)
(22:10–26:28)
(26:35–35:13)
(35:23–38:07)
(39:20–49:58)
(51:26–67:27)
Naming “Super Mario Advance” series entries (with audience help and lifelines).
Mario Party sequels on GameCube (4–7).
GameCube sports titles: Mario Strikers, Tennis, Baseball, and Golf.
DS Mario games starting with “Mario and…”
Naming Wii-era Mario releases in 2007 (Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, Mario Party 8, Mario Strikers Charged, Mario & Sonic at the Olympics).
Final Question Showdown: “How many ‘New Super Mario Bros.’ games can you name?” (Miranda scrapes out a tie!)
Final Score: 11-11 Tie
Notable Quotes:
This PAX East live Game Scoop! embodies everything fans love about classic gaming podcasts: sharp industry insights, deep retro nostalgia, and plenty of communal game fun. The detailed, often hilarious trivia segments balance well with heartfelt praise for new titles and candid debates about hardcore and casual gaming. Even if you haven’t listened, you’ll feel the live energy, absorb Mario lore, and know which new games the IGN crew can’t stop playing.
For more Game Scoop! or full episodes, visit Geek.com.