Kinda Funny Gamescast: Can You Draw Video Game Box Art From Memory?! – Game Showdown (Portrait Mode)

Podcast: Kinda Funny Gamescast
Episode: Can You Draw Video Game Box Art From Memory?! - Game Showdown
Date: September 26, 2025
Host: Blessing Adeoye Jr.
Contestants: Tim Gettys (Team Orange), Mike Howard (Team Purple), Greg Miller (Team Blue)
Judges: Blessing, Roger, Nick Scarpino

Episode Overview

This week, the Kinda Funny crew revives "Portrait Mode" as part of their Game Showdown series, this time with a new judge, Nick Scarpino. The challenge: can the contestants accurately draw famous video game box art from memory? With each round, the crew attempts to recreate iconic (and sometimes not-so-iconic) game cover imagery—without peeking—and the judges decide who comes closest. The episode is a blend of nostalgia, chaotic art, hilarious storytelling, and genuine tests of gaming memory, with plenty of playful jabs and friendly rivalry.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

Setting the Stage and Rules ([00:00]–[06:25])

• Format & Teams Introduced: Blessing hosts, with Tim representing Team Orange, Mike for Team Purple, Greg for Team Blue.
• Judges: Blessing, Roger, and Nick Scarpino. Nick is notably open to bribes ("I'm open to bribes" – Nick [00:55]), setting a comedic tone.
• Special Emphasis: This is a memory and accuracy game, not an artistic one ("judging based on accuracy, not artistry" – Blessing [05:19]).
• Box Art Focus: Each round, contestants have to draw the box art for a specific game, focusing on accuracy of key visuals, not drawing skill.
• Banter over previous season controversies and Greg's self-proclaimed "champion" status adds playful stakes (Greg: “I saw the Matrix. I made it happen…” [01:18–01:56]).

Round-by-Round Breakdown

1. Round One: DOOM (1993) Box Art ([06:49]–[13:40])

Contestant Drawings:

• Greg: Captures DOOM guy shooting downward on a hill of demons, signature logo.
  • "The D and the M came down low on the sides. We had an orange and red vibe going on. Yes, Doom Slayer is there shooting down..." – Greg [09:12]
• Tim: Adds detail with a flying revenant but forgets the actual logo.
• Mike: Adds a choking demon (not in the real art), pushes “vibes,” narrates an elaborate backstory.

Judges’ Deliberation:

• All judges award Greg for accuracy—shooting angle, logo, and composition are closest to the real box.
  • "[Greg] literally has him shooting downwards... That's the wrong, you know, one hand shooting." – Roger [12:44]
• Result: Greg gets 30 points (clean sweep).

2. Round Two: GTA Vice City Box Art ([14:37]–[22:32])

Contestant Drawings:

• Tim: Focuses on correct composition—Logo placement, color scheme, PlayStation 2 branding.
• Mike: Draws a “man with glasses” and a swooshing car – heavy on the story.
• Greg: Tries to capture mosaic/tiled look with key elements—boat, woman, car.

Judges’ Deliberation:

• All agree Tim nails the most accurate composition and logo placement.
  • "Tim did the harder thing and...he literally almost exactly got the tiling of the background." – Roger [21:57]
• Result: Tim gets 30 points.

3. Round Three: Fallout 4 Box Art ([22:59]–[30:06])

Contestant Drawings:

• Greg: Brotherhood of Steel helmet, angled Fallout 4 logo, PlayStation 4 branding, ESRB rating.
  • “Brotherhood of Steel mask, front and center. The angled Fallout 4 logo. I put it on PlayStation 4. I put the ESRB rating..." – Greg [24:53]
• Mike: "All face" – draws Brotherhood of Steel helmet, lacks the angled composition.
• Tim: Draws a man and his dog from trailer/marketing art, not box cover.

Judges’ Deliberation:

• Nick and Roger favor Mike for realistic face/logo overlap; Blessing favors Greg for the correct logo angle and composition.
  • "Greg had the parallelogram. He had the angle, but he didn't have the logo and the face in congress with each other." – Nick [28:57]
• Result: Mike gets 20, Greg 10.

4. Round Four: Titanfall 2 Box Art ([33:56]–[40:20])

Contestant Drawings:

• Greg: Big Titan and small pilot, blue sky, Xbox branding, ESRB.
  • "You know, your big bad Titan, you're the guy who can also climb in the Titan. Blue sky..." – Greg [35:19]
• Tim: Draws Titanfall 1 cover by accident (dude climbing Titan rather than action pose).
• Mike: Draws pilot doing a jump with motion lines toward Titan.

Judges’ Deliberation:

• Roger and Nick give it to Mike for capturing the action/motion, even if positions are a bit off. Blessing goes with Greg for composition.
  • "Motion is a huge part of that cover art. So Mike gets it for me." – Roger [39:22]
• Result: Mike 20, Greg 10.

5. Round Five: Echo the Dolphin (Genesis) Box Art ([41:05]–[48:52])

Contestant Drawings:

• Greg: Sega Genesis frame, jumping dolphin, blue background, attempts the correct logo color.
  • "I have the Sega Genesis box art nailed. I have Echo jumping as he was..." – Greg [42:22]
• Tim: Correct direction of dolphin (left to right), sun in the sky, two C's for Echo.
• Mike: Dolphin underwater, single “C” in Echo, focuses on “eco” pun.

Judges’ Deliberation:

• Roger and Blessing give it to Tim for correct orientation of dolphin and composition. Nick gives it to Greg for capturing Genesis box style and color.
  • "The direction of Echo the dolphin really does seal it here for me." – Blessing [47:59]
• Result: Tim 20, Greg 10.

Score Recaps & Banter ([30:47], [49:12])

• Blessing keeps the scoreboard flowing with regular updates, with Team Orange (Tim) and Team Blue (Greg) tied going into the bonus; Mike (Team Purple) trailing but not out.

  • "This is a very tight game." – Blessing [48:52]

Bonus Round: Roger’s Shovelware (Fake/Real eShop Games) ([49:55]–[56:29])

• Roger presents four rounds of fake and real eShop game covers; contestants must pick the fake in each group. Each right answer is worth 20 points.
• Games scrutiny ranges from odd titles like “Yeti Returns” to “Hentai Girls.”
• Results (spoilers):
  • Most questions stump the panel (nobody gets Round 1 or 4 correct).
  • Mike and Greg score big in the middle—tightening up the field.
• Final scores before tie: Greg (80), Tim (60), Mike (60).

Grand Finale and Closing ([56:29]–[58:21])

• Greg Miller Wins—Again: Greg clinches it back-to-back for Team Blue.
  • “Just like last week, I’m happy to dedicate this win, and this star, to Gia and my unborn niece.” – Greg [57:50]
• Tim and Mike tie for second.
• Show closes with the team reflectively joking about the volatility of “Portrait Mode,” the chaos of judging, and the absurdity of some box art.
• Nick jokingly laments the scoreboard font. Blessing and Roger poke fun at the show’s quirks and each other.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Greg, on his methods:
  “I saw the fucking Matrix. I made it happen. That’s why I left with three digits worth of points. These guys couldn’t even crack 100.” [01:18–01:56]
• Nick, on bribes:
  “I’m open to this show. I’m open to bribes.” [00:55]
• Mike, always with the story:
  “Let me take you to a fall afternoon in Colorado. 7th grade Snowbike Mike. $60 stolen from his mother’s wallet. I apologize.” [16:43]
• Greg, on winning/fan reactions:
  “You’re all so afraid to give me the points, you know what I mean? You want to make it competitive because when it’s an actual fucking toss up, I win every time.” [40:38]
• Nick, on the Echo box art:
  "Was echo spelled wrong? Yeah. Was the dolphin going the wrong way? Yeah. Did he add a sun for absolutely no reason? No, he did not. I'm gonna give this to Greg." [48:22]
• Blessing, on Tim's GTA Vice City drawing:
  “I think the overall vision of Tim’s is the most accurate, especially when you’re talking about the composition.” [20:42]
• Roger, as bonus round host:
  “The fact that three of these are real on the Nintendo eShop, of all places, is incredible. The Nintendo Seal of Approval. All these have.” [52:38]
• Tim and Mike, about Hentai Girls:
  “I know the Nintendo eShop. I can promise you Hentai girls is definitely live and real.” – Mike [56:06]

Major Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–06:25] — Show intro, rules, team intros, judge banter
• [06:49–13:40] — Round 1: DOOM Box Art
• [14:37–22:32] — Round 2: GTA Vice City
• [22:59–30:06] — Round 3: Fallout 4
• [33:56–40:20] — Round 4: Titanfall 2
• [41:05–48:52] — Round 5: Echo the Dolphin
• [49:55–56:29] — Bonus: Roger’s Shovelware (Fake/Real Switch Games)
• [56:29–58:21] — Final scores, star tally, closing banter

Flow & Tone

The episode is fast-paced, chaotic, and filled with in-jokes, asides, and tangents about gaming nostalgia. The contestants balance actual gaming knowledge with wild creativity and relentless ribbing; the judges aim for fairness but openly admit to being swayed by “vibes” and personal memories.

The tone is playful, competitive, and occasionally absurd—especially when the group marvels at obscure shovelware or debates whether drawing a “choking demon” is more accurate to DOOM box art than, say, remembering the logo.

For Listeners: Why This Episode is Worth Your Time

• Relive the challenge of recalling gamer culture’s biggest visuals—from “isn't the DOOM cover just the thick logo?” to “does Vice City’s cover have a guy with glasses?”
• Delight in the chaos and improvisation as contestants frantically defend wildly inaccurate drawings with stories and nostalgia.
• Enjoy creative, unscripted banter that’s both informative and hilarious, revealing how deeply some images and vibes stick with us.
• The bonus round offers a bonkers look at the world of Switch shovelware—how many fake eShop games can you spot?
• Ultimately, it’s a celebration of video game history, memory, and the fun of not quite getting it right—and laughing together anyway.

Final Scoreboard

| Contestant | Team | Final Score | |----------------|---------------|-------------| | Greg Miller| Team Blue | 80 | | Tim Gettys | Team Orange | 60 | | Mike Howard | Team Purple | 60 |

Team Blue takes another star, thanks to Greg’s box art recall (and that sweet Sega Genesis grid border).

Star Moments

• "Dedicate this win, and this star, to Gia and my unborn niece." – Greg [57:50]
• “I love this stupid ass show.” – Tim [47:59]

Summary Table of Rounds & Winners

| Round | Prompt | Winner(s) | |--------------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------------| | 1: DOOM (1993) | Draw DOOM Box Art | Greg (3/3 judge votes) | | 2: GTA Vice City | Draw Vice City Box Art | Tim (3/3) | | 3: Fallout 4 | Draw Fallout 4 Box Art | Mike (2/3), Greg (1/3) | | 4: Titanfall 2 | Draw Titanfall 2 Box Art | Mike (2/3), Greg (1/3) | | 5: Echo the Dolphin | Draw Echo Box Art | Tim (2/3), Greg (1/3) | | Bonus: Roger’s Shovelware | Spot the Fake Game | Greg & Mike (biggest gains) |

Want to be part of the next chaotic draw-off? Start brushing up on your favorite video game box art...and be ready to defend even your worst doodles to the death!