The Besties – "The First Great Game of 2026"

Podcast Date: January 23, 2026
Hosts: Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Russ Frushtick

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off The Besties' 2026 discussions by diving into “Memories in Orbit” (MIO), a new search-action platformer from French developer Duz Diziam. The hosts extensively break down the game’s influences, mechanics, aesthetics, and quirks. They also discuss the Animal Crossing 3.0 update and reader mail about classic licensed games, with side adventures into retro emulation and Japanese reality TV. True to the show’s tone, the episode is filled with playful banter, gaming insight, and a heavy dose of nostalgia.

Main Discussion: Memories in Orbit (MIO)

[02:42] – [22:05]

What is Memories in Orbit?

• Russ describes it as a minimalist, pretty, and challenging “search action” game, comparable in vibe and structure to Ori and the Blind Forest.

  "Memories in Orbit is a search action game from a French developer that is minimalist and vibey and pretty to look at and also challenging." (03:00, Russ)

• You play as Mio, a small autonomous robot exploring a derelict space ark, encountering broken-down AIs and robots.

Atmosphere, Aesthetics & Emotional Tone

• Griffin and Russ praise the melancholic world, the way visuals and soundtrack evoke a sense of loss and sadness for broken robots.

  "You're going around and you're seeing this kind of ship where everything has lost its purpose and the robots are all dying… It's really sad." (05:12, Griffin)

• Justin jokes about the emotional pull of broken robots, despite his general wariness of AI.

Core Mechanics & Traversal

• The game stands out by giving players powerful movement options from the start (like double jump), and unveiling less typical Metroidvania upgrades:
  • Tendrils for climbing on any surface (temporarily)
  • Hovering across gaps
• The traversal is highly momentum and physics-based:

  "You start with the double jump. ... Instead the abilities you get are… tendrils… you can climb on any surface and go on ceilings and walls, but only for a limited amount of time… [plus] a hover ability." (07:08, Griffin) "It's physics-based in the way that even like Silksong is not. Ori is very apt..." (08:23, Russ)

Level Design & Search

• Exploration is rewarding but unorthodox. The group highlights how geometry and the game's “search” element make you experiment constantly.

  "I felt like I had to keep challenging the geometry or like fighting against the design... I thought that was kind of cool." (09:09, Justin)

• Areas are open-ended, rarely locking the player to a single region:

  "I didn't have the moment … where I would see the door that I can't get to… Almost always, there's some way to do it." (10:09, Griffin)

• “Sequence breaking” (reaching unintended zones via momentum tricks) is often possible, making experimentation feel rewarding.

Difficulty & Onboarding

• The intro is punishing:

  “The first boss, you face, pretty fucking hard. You basically have no upgrades.” (10:57, Russ)

• Currency/Progression confusion:
  The “nacre” system (in-game currency) is opaque, with unclear mechanics for banking, spending, and map unlocking. This frustrates the hosts:

  “Playing the game without a map sucks. It's not good. ... Probably the biggest reason I didn't make more progress...” (12:38, Justin) “It's such a weird stylistic choice and it feels half-baked.” (12:57, Griffin)

Accessibility/Assist Options

• The game adds three assist modes:
  • Decaying bosses: Bosses get weaker the more you die.
  • Pacifist mode: Enemies don’t attack unless attacked.
  • Ground Healing: Heal by standing on the ground.

  "I've found those to be really smart ways of making the game… less punishing without really throwing the difficulty curve completely out the window." (20:43, Griffin)

Core Critiques & Praise

• While platforming, momentum, and discovery are praised, the progression system (currencies and upgrades) is underwhelming compared to the traversal:

  “The carrot [of item rewards]… wasn’t really there for me.” (16:32, Griffin) “The synergy … just isn't in place here.” (16:57, Russ)

• Russ enjoys the “little person, big world, no handholding” aesthetic:

  “That's my jam... but I know for people that aren't necessarily going to want to throw themselves at it… it can be frustrating.” (17:01, Russ)

Memorable Quotes

• On dying to get the map:

  "Just die a bunch, get the map. Then you can really play the game and enjoy it." (21:34, Griffin)

• On learning its pace:

  “I started enjoying it a lot more when I started meeting it on its own level, rather than trying to extrapolate mechanics ... from other search action games.” (20:56, Justin)

Quick Pivot: Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 3.0 Update & Switch 2 Edition

[23:42] – [35:52]

Update and Upgrade Details

• The 3.0 update is free and introduces a hotel to the island, a creative “Slumber Island” mode (similar to Minecraft’s creative mode), and significant quality-of-life features (like batch crafting, storage crafting).
• The Switch 2 Edition ($5 upgrade, with confusing pricing strategy) adds 12-player multiplayer, mouse controls, and more.

Slumber Island

• Creative mode allows for unrestricted item placement, creativity, and collaborative play.

  "Having access to all of those tools, being able to like put down furniture, move stuff around instantly ... with other players is fucking fun." (28:00, Griffin)

• The only limitation: players can only use items already in their catalog.

Persistent Frustrations

• Movement and object placement remain frustratingly clunky outside, compared to the streamlined indoor “decorator mode”.

  “Moving around ... is not a fun way of doing it. There is a better way.” (27:15, Justin)

• Persistent suspicion that Nintendo withholds features for future monetization or iteration.

  “Nintendo thinks that this is the way forward for the future and they're trying to see how they make the most money off of it... every one of these is a test balloon.” (33:04, Justin)

• Despite the quirks, nostalgia for Animal Crossing remains strong.

Quick Hits and Honorable Mentions

Licensed Game Nostalgia

[36:15] – [41:38]

• Listener Mail: Reminiscences on Ocean Software’s 80s movie licenses (Robocop, Platoon on ZX Spectrum).
• Classic cheating discussed—NES Game Genie was essential and “everybody was cheating all the time.”

  “You had to cheat. The games were hard and bad… everyone did that.” (40:03, Justin)

• Notable games: Dick Tracy, Illusion of Gaia, Actraiser, and the “honorable mention” experience of discovering Amiga emulation with AmigaVision.

Modern & Retro Gaming Sidebars

• AmigaVision — Justin shares his journey importing and exploring the Amiga library using a curated front-end and a CRT monitor.

  "The conversation of emulation… is a conservation play, but it's a huge, massive library. Stuff I've never checked out before." (38:03, Justin)

• Apple Arcade Power Wash Simulator — Griffin discusses how chill it is as a bite-sized mobile experience, but how complexity reduces the core vibe:

  “The game gets less fun the more complexities they add to it.” (45:41, Russ)

Reality TV & Commentary Panels

[47:08] – [50:54]

• Griffin highlights “The Boyfriend” (Japanese reality/dating show on Netflix), noting the difference Japanese shows have with live commentary panels compared to American fare.
• The group discusses how this "panel" format is common in East Asian reality TV but rare in the West, and speculate on why this meta-conversation structure hasn’t caught on.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "It's not a cold open. It's a very warm and misting open."
  (00:59, Justin, after a bidet-themed intro)
• "I want it to feel like a big guy was just, just on there. That's how I like it. Thank you."
  (01:38, Griffin, joking about heated toilet seats)
• "If you donate, die and give me 200 nacre, something cool happened. That's all it needed at the beginning—just give us along without a map."
  (21:53, Russ, on MIO's messaging shortcomings)
• "That's my jam. Like that clicks in a big way for me."
  (17:01, Russ, on difficult, hands-off world design)

Episode Timestamps

| Segment | Topic Description | |-------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:42 – 22:05 | Memories in Orbit (MIO) – in-depth discussion | | 23:42 – 35:52 | Animal Crossing 3.0 update, Switch 2 Edition, player experiences | | 36:15 – 41:38 | Licensed games nostalgia, Game Genie, AmigaVision emulation | | 41:38 – 46:28 | Illusion of Gaia retrospective, game sound effects, retro RPG design | | 47:08 – 50:54 | Japanese reality TV, commentary panel structures, media culture differences | | 51:26 – 51:41 | Patreon thank-yous, upcoming game ("Cairn"), closing remarks |

Closing Notes & Upcoming Topics

• The Besties thank several patrons and tease the next week’s game, Cairn, a game about climbing.
• The show ends, as always, with the affirmation:

  "Shouldn't the world's best friends pick the world's best games?"

TL;DR – Essential Listening

• Memories in Orbit is a must-try for fans of experimental Metroidvanias, but expect a hands-off, sometimes punishing experience that rewards creative traversal and exploration more than traditional loot or stat progression.
• Animal Crossing's latest update has meaningful creative and social potential, but Nintendo’s business decisions and persistent interface hassles continue to frustrate—though nostalgia smooths over many bumps.
• The power of classic cheats like Game Genie and the delight of discovering old platforms, like the Amiga, still resonate with the hosts.
• “The Boyfriend” and Japanese-style reality commentary panels provoke conversation around what works (and doesn’t) in international TV formats.

For anyone who missed this episode: expect candid critiques, a love of discovery (past and present), and a typical dose of the Besties’ warmth and wit.