Transcript
neocharge: What's up, everybody, and welcome to Shapes of Gaming, the weekly conversational podcast all about video games that's unedited, unfiltered, and most importantly, unhinged, especially for this episode. I'm one of your hosts, Matt Stenson, NeoCharge on PSN, and joining me, as always, for episode number 16 is the Retro Gaming Encyclopedia himself.
neocharge: bob harriman leon lion hartley on psn you guys are both laughing it's great uh both laughing meaning we have another special guest on this show and uh we have the wonderful caleb schiff admiral murps on psn uh for episode number 16 because he was on eight and uh most recently 14 i believe and we love him welcome welcome to the show caleb how's it going
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thank you. Thank you very much. I am happy to be gracing you with my presence yet again.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry, everybody. we are This is like the most jank-ass shit today, and we're I'm here for it.
neocharge: right
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I am here for I have a new setup, so there was some audio testing.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah As you can tell, maybe Matt has a...
neocharge: evening they can't They can't tell shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He's he's somewhere else right now, so the
neocharge: They they can't see anything.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it Well, I meant maybe with the audio. I don't know, because to me, you sound the same, but we'll we'll find out.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, i'm I'm really, really glad to be here.
neocharge: We'll see. Damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah You're in my neck of the woods right now. You're you're in Ohio, so you know how shitty it is here.
neocharge: Damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's...
neocharge: I am. We, uh, we actually just hung out yesterday and we went to that awesome, uh, burger place, the rail.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): oh yeah
neocharge: Uh, and I gotta say, I was a fan and we had some good brews, uh, had some good burgers and it was great seeing you, man. it's great seeing you digitally again.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah yeah
neocharge: So.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): great Great seeing you person, and it's great to be back on the show.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And as always, Bob, that handsome motherfucker, just chilling over there.
neocharge: Definitely. so
neocharge: Man.
Leon Lionheartly: Do you guys hear that, folks? For all our listeners, Matt just said he really enjoyed the rail.
neocharge: know
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hell yeah, he did.
neocharge: I sure did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I've been trying to show him the local yokel for a long time. That's the name of the burger I have.
neocharge: It was delicious.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: What did I have? Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think you have the Ray Lavor.
neocharge: Or the sex move. Who knows?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I think.
neocharge: The rail of war. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: it It had a truffle aioli. It had caramelized onions. It was delicious. and you had the local yokel, which is the...
neocharge: basically a sunny side up egg on burger.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: And it was just dripping. And i was like, shit, I should have got that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Swiss burger with the egg on top.
Leon Lionheartly: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh my God. Swiss cheese.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it was, it's awesome. but It's great.
neocharge: Hell yeah. So yeah, Bob, you're kind of the odd man out right now because you're in Colorado. I'm in Ohio. I'm actually at my brother's house doing a satellite recording, if you will.
neocharge: ah And I'm in good old EST. So ah the weather sucks here.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: It's super humid. I can't stand it. I walked a quarter mile yesterday and it felt like I was swimming instead of walking. ah Not a fan. I am a fan, however, of my family here. So that's that's why I come here. It's a a very small town, about an hour southeast of Columbus, Ohio. More cows than people.
neocharge: And they're here. And everyone knows everyone in this town. You go out and they're like, Matt. And I'm like, hey ah So, everyone knows everyone.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but
neocharge: I've been hanging out with some with with family and good friends. And, ah yeah, small towns have ah nice little charm to them. But the weather sucks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It's terrible.
neocharge: Ohio weather sucks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's just so humid.
neocharge: It's...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's so humid.
neocharge: it's It's ridiculously humid. Not as humid as Florida, but extremely humid. so ah Bob, how are you doing, man? how's How's beautiful, Colorado? I can't wait to get back. I'm flying out tomorrow.
neocharge: I'll miss my family, but I can't wait to get back to Colorado.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, man, you missed you missed the really good, nice call last couple of days, man, ah while while you're here.
neocharge: No, bet.
Leon Lionheartly: It cooled down, um so we hit the 70s, and now we're right back into the 80s for the rest of the week.
neocharge: Oh,
Leon Lionheartly: and And I know there's probably some listener out there in Georgia going, you ain't know nothing until you've about this. heat Trust me, I know. I lived in Augusta, Georgia in the middle of August. I was there, okay? Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: come up here and it's a different level of heat. yeah You feel like a baked potato standing out in the sun for more than 30 seconds. But other than that, doing good, man.
neocharge: Heck
Leon Lionheartly: Just getting used to this new schedule but that I've got going on. ah Just keeping me real busy. So it doesn't leave a lot of time for games.
neocharge: yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um But, you still hanging out and drinking beer.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know you started a new job.
neocharge: he yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): as It's probably too soon, but are you liking it so far? Are you still in that, like, I'm not so sure phase? Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: No, I absolutely love it. um I'm used to chaos, and this has a certain level of chaos, but it's one, controlled chaos because we're ah because of what we're doing, and number two, i'm empowered I'm empowered versus being hindered like a lot of other times where you know it's it's a bunch of chaos is going around, People are making decisions at the last second, and this is coming down the pipeline, and then this is, and then you're trying to take care of the customer.
Leon Lionheartly: But never mind, you got to make sure you do XYZ too. And don't forget your timesheets, all of that kind of corporate jazz BS.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Here, it's more like, all right, hey, we just need to do whatever you got to do to get the job done. And I can live by those rules.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Dude, that's awesome to hear.
neocharge: yeah and you're
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm really, really glad to hear that because a lot of people hate their jobs and it's great when you don't you know want to just drive into a river after work every day.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's That's a really good feeling. So congratulations to you.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: I think what you're the phrase you're looking for is Chris Farley said you want to jerk the goddamn wheel into a bridge embankment.
neocharge: would have
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's exactly what meant.
neocharge: And you're literally expanding the network, right?
Leon Lionheartly: i Yeah, yeah, that's kind of what it is.
neocharge: Deep.
Leon Lionheartly: So think of it like this. It's really high level. It's literally network expansion. I am Sam Porter Bridges. ah
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: expanding the network and bringing people online and connecting us all together.
neocharge: Do you have ah a necklace that you put on a little pedestal that floats and makes everything float?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I swear – ahead.
neocharge: And is that how you expand the network?
Leon Lionheartly: um No, but I'm going to find a way to put one on the system so that way I can just walk up and be like, tink.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He's going to be that guy that develops the Cupid.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh. Oh.
neocharge: Heck yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it'll, this this is what makes Kojima a genius.
neocharge: Mm-hmm. Right.
neocharge: here
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He's made Bob the future.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i i actually, I don't want to derail too much about Death Stranding, but I was saving this to tell you guys on the cast.
neocharge: you
Leon Lionheartly: a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I, and I don't think I mentioned it before. I went to Pittsburgh for a weekend to see some, some friends. ah Like it was either last weekend or the weekend before, I don't remember. ah But I had taken my iPad, which is relatively new. I got a new iPad pro.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And i love it, not to plug for Apple, but I absolutely love it. It's great, great, great, decent kit.
Leon Lionheartly: Hashtag not sponsored.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hashtag not sponsored yet. um But yeah, so anyway, I went there and you know I was on my buddy, I was staying at my buddy's house and there was a thing that popped up on my iPad when I was connected to the network that was like, do you wanna share other networks?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And i you know i you hit no, I'm at my friend's house, I'm not gonna do that. But before I could hit no, there was a map that showed my home network and then my parents' network that I do actually have linked And all I could think of, I looked at my wife and I said, holy shit, I can expand the Chiral Network to Dan.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And Lisa, my wife just says, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
neocharge: That's awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i was like, okay, that's fair. But all I thought of was expanding the Chiral Network.
neocharge: that's awesome
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I thought you guys would get a kick out of it because that's how you know you've been playing a game too damn much and also not enough is that it follows you wherever you go.
Leon Lionheartly: Preach to that. um We'll talk about it later, but ah that is exactly what I was going to get at my sentiments so far.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sweet.
neocharge: I know I'm missing it and I haven't got to play cause I've been traveling and um I've been in Ohio. I've been playing some switch stuff, which I'll talk about. Uh, and yeah, dude, I, I do miss death stranding.
neocharge: I'm kind of itching for it now and I can't wait to get back and and play more.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Awesome.
neocharge: Yeah. I'm on chapter eight. So I'm, I'm still going to take my time with it. Uh, I might play sort of the sea first. I don't know though, but, uh, yeah, before we get into it, what are we drinking?
neocharge: How about, uh, Bob, you go first.
Leon Lionheartly: All right. Well, um I went out of state on this one and I didn't realize it until afterwards. um But in my defense there, Matt, you can hear the here's the here this description and tell me it is not my kind of beer.
Leon Lionheartly: A coffee stout with cacao nibs.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, damn. That sounds good.
neocharge: Oh, wow.
Leon Lionheartly: ah This is from, ah yeah, kind of like a mocha.
neocharge: Like a mocha.
Leon Lionheartly: um This is ah from e Epic Brewing, which I looked up is actually out of Salt Lake.
neocharge: Huh.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, um but it's their son of a Baptist.
neocharge: Awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: Yup.
Leon Lionheartly: And it's not bad. It's not the best one, but it's definitely by far not the worst one. So and so and it's in that Ohio range for you, a young man.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: You know what
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What's the ABV on that thing?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you know? do you have the can anymore?
neocharge: The coffee stout, I think it's like eight or seven something.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I was to say, it'd probably be up there, right?
Leon Lionheartly: mean?
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It's an 8%.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Look at you.
neocharge: would I know that?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah Good work.
neocharge: I'm actually a big fan of the Son of the Baptist. it's I love my coffee stouts. Very good choice. Very good choice. How about you, Caleb?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Well, I'm actually trying to find what the ABV is on the one I'm drinking. And ah here it is only five and a half, because last time I think I had an 11 or a 10 or something.
Leon Lionheartly: Ooh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So now I'm evening it out. ah This is a Great Lakes Brewing ah strawberry pineapple wheat.
neocharge: who
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I am a huge fan of wheat ales.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah They are my favorite.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know that kind of makes me. basic and I don't care. i you know by My go-to when I can't decide somewhere is Blue Moon. Just give me a Blue Moon with an orange in it. I i love them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But this this is really good. it's It's a little on the sweeter side for people that don't like that. I mean, it's not a soda or anything. But the straw, you can taste the strawberry, you can taste the pineapple, you can taste the wheat. So it's, it's executing as, as it's stated.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so i'm I'm good with it. But yeah, great, Great Lakes Brewing five and a half percent can have a couple of these and they're just quite refreshing.
neocharge: Beautiful. Beautiful. Yeah, i've I've had some Ohio local brews while I've been here. And man, so I got to say, in in and I don't know if it's at sea level or what, but the beer just tastes a tad bit flat here.
neocharge: And I think it might be because when you're higher altitude, it's more carbonated and it just gives it a bit more crispiness. Caleb, you got to come out to Colorado and and try our beer.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think you're right.
neocharge: it's It's next level.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i think you're right.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I also think that maybe because you have thinner air up there, you're just high all the time.
neocharge: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it tastes good.
Leon Lionheartly: laughter
neocharge: That's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, I, for real, it is, that is a thing that I have noticed in my travels that it, and it's the same for soda and stuff.
neocharge: That could be true as well.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know, i don't think either one of you guys are soda drinkers, but, I have such a sweet tooth and it's unhealthy and whatever, but it's, I can tell a difference when I go somewhere else that the carbonation just, it just tastes better specifically for fountain drinks.
Leon Lionheartly: Not only that carbonation, but you come here and drink that 5%.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It's going to feel more like an 8%. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: Sure is.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Challenge accepted.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah i And this is not the this is my humble brag, but this is a a no joke true story. This is how I knew there was a truth to that because I was in Germany for two years.
Leon Lionheartly: drinking German beers at a higher altitude, went back home for, I live at sea level. And between me and one other family member, we killed two 48 cases of beer by 2 AM. And I was still sober and I'm not exaggerating.
neocharge: Wow.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): let's just that's just because you're a man.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's what that's about.
neocharge: I
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: But that's what I went. Oh, there is something to this like American sea level kind of beer thing that was going on. So, uh,
neocharge: There is a science to it. When you're higher altitude, your blood is thinner, and the alcohol goes through your system quicker and more intense. So you will get drunk faster.
neocharge: ah There's a place called Cripple Creek about two hours from us, Bob. And... It's like a little gambling town. It's about 10,500 feet high.
neocharge: So, ah what? Yeah, 4,000 feet higher than where we are in the Springs. And if you just play ah round a round of blackjack or do any gambling, they'll literally come around with free beer.
neocharge: You're going to get drunk off about four, six, You're going to get drunk. You'll get buzzed off too.
Leon Lionheartly: Hell yeah.
neocharge: It's like almost at the tree line because the tree line is 11,000 feet. That's where it's the air is so thin that trees can't survive. So yeah, if you ever see mountains, that's why the mountains are...
neocharge: bear and because they're above line. So, uh, my beer, I decided to, you know, go with the, the local stuff and it is called chain mail, pale ale.
neocharge: Wow. That really rhymes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Love it.
neocharge: It's from a Rheingeist brewing from Cincinnati, Ohio. And I figured I'd go with like an Ohio brewed beer since I'm in Ohio. And, uh, this is, ah Clad in a glimmer and ah glimmering panoply of hops, chainmail pale ale is as balanced as a trebuchet, launching notes of stone fruit, blueberry, and gentle malt sweetness over the ramparts.
neocharge: It's the holy grail of pale ales. So... Really cool description. I'm not usually a big fan of pale ales, but this one's all right. it's It's growing on me. And it's what he had in his fridge that's brewed in Ohio.
neocharge: Let's be honest. So... Cause I was like, shit, I need a beer and I need an Ohio beer. And he's like, I have this. And i was like, oh yeah, Ryan Geist.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: I've been to the brewery. I went to Cincinnati for some training for work in 2017. And it's a really cool brewery. It's on the right on the river of Cincinnati. And they, ah they make some good stuff.
neocharge: Not in my realm. a lot of IPAs, a lot of, a lot of more bitter beers. But other than that, um I'm digging this. It's pretty good. So we love our beer here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good. What's the ah alcohol percentage on that one?
neocharge: Five and a half.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Five and a half. You and I are same Z's or twins Z's today.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Two
neocharge: Oh my God, look at us. Look at us. Who would have thought?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Ohioans drinking five and a half percent.
neocharge: Not me. yeah and Cheers.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
Leon Lionheartly: it's
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Cheers, buddy. Let me knock my computer over like an asshole.
neocharge: yeah Right, right.
Leon Lionheartly: and fuck So I'm going to tell you, Matt, now, because you saw it.
neocharge: do
Leon Lionheartly: For the audience that doesn't understand, Matt was trying to explain it. He saw big busted and odd breaking up. I'm going to tell you why, Matt, and I'm going to get this podcast started off on the Unhinged for this episode.
Leon Lionheartly: I went to go Google, do you get drunk faster at higher altitude? I just wanted to see if I could find the study, just whatever. In Google, the very first ah result ah search result, you know, that predictive search, as they call it, do you get drunk faster on your period?
neocharge: Oh, my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hell yeah
Leon Lionheartly: yeah And then, do you get drunk faster on a plane? This is the science that we're really here for, folks.
neocharge: Well, what's the verdict? I mean, you get you'd get drunk faster, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah. don't don't Don't leave us hanging for both of those.
neocharge: Yeah, don't leave us hanging.
Leon Lionheartly: So the first one says there's no, what do you call it, scientific evidence. um And then higher, on a plane, let's see. Scientifically, the alcohol in your blood gets pressurized.
neocharge: That's pressurized.
Leon Lionheartly: That's exactly it. Look at the big brain over there, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: You're paying attention in your science classes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to say, if they're talking about a skydiving plane, maybe that's a little different. yes so
neocharge: it's true oh
Leon Lionheartly: i' I've been in those. you don't know You don't want to try and drink a beer. Although that might be a fun exercise.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Try it when you're on your way to Louisiana.
neocharge: That's true. Drink as you're going down.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Tell your job that you need to take a skydiving plane to Louisiana because you need to you need to do this scientific research.
Leon Lionheartly: going
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You need to drink.
Leon Lionheartly: to do a keg stand in free fall.
neocharge: You'd have to put your alcohol...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, just just parachute down to New Orleans or wherever you're going.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm going to do a keg stand in free fall.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He'll just be texting us.
neocharge: you'd have to put your alcohol
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I am so drunk right now. They weren't kidding.
neocharge: You'd have to put your alcohol in a Camelback because you're not drinking that shit out of a can free falling going like, I don't know, depending on your weight, whatever the math is there. ah There's no way you're going to be drinking that.
Leon Lionheartly: but
neocharge: So out of a Camelback, that'd be fun.
Leon Lionheartly: That's what I mean by the keg stand. Just do it, you know, kind of diving towards the ground. just
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What could go wrong? ah but
Leon Lionheartly: There's nothing that could go wrong here. Absolutely nothing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I like this plan.
neocharge: Right. yeah Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Go to pull the pull the cord and realize you're pulling on the camelback. Let's
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Crap, I forgot to put on my parachute.
Leon Lionheartly: do it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just have this beer. Oh, well.
neocharge: yeah And then you die and lose your hose that you were drinking out of. That's ah that's no fun for for anyone.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know.
neocharge: That's
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Have you ever seen a drunk person fall? They don't get hurt. They fall the right way.
neocharge: true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So he'd probably be fine.
neocharge: the
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just drink it faster. That's all.
neocharge: Right. Oh, man. So how did you get...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's people came here.
neocharge: What?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's people came here to hear that science logic.
neocharge: Oh, 100%.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's why they came to this podcast.
neocharge: hundred percent They come here to to get raw, unfiltered content straight into their ear holes. we but We basically just raw dog their ears the whole time.
neocharge: And they like it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, that's lovely.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: see back shortly.
neocharge: I don't know what...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): what
neocharge: See? She she agrees.
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hell yeah.
neocharge: So how's your guys' this week been? What's What's new?
Leon Lionheartly: I mean, ah yeah, let's go.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You first, Bobbo. Bobbo!
Leon Lionheartly: don't know.
neocharge: Thank
Leon Lionheartly: i don't know it's It's been ah just, ah like I said, um working through this new job, trying to get used to that schedule, being back in an office, ah you know all of that good stuff. In between times, spending what time I can expanding the Chiral Network and then ah diling dabbling a little bit into getting back into that tabletop RPG or Well, tabletop RPGs, but most importantly, getting back into Magic.
Leon Lionheartly: It kind of bit me. I've been enjoying that. um And then, last but surely not least, because what else can I do to my schedule to fuck it up? The kids started school this week.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah.
neocharge: Oh, that's like, that's a big change.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah, especially since, you know, now one of them has to be to work or school at 7.20 in the morning for first class.
neocharge: So.
Leon Lionheartly: Fuck! It hurts.
neocharge: Dang.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That makes me sad for you.
neocharge: Yeah. Yep. yeah I've been around that environment here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Very sad.
neocharge: it's It's just like a different world out here. right It's just like kids going crazy everywhere and they're getting ready to go into school and it's just like, go, go, go, go. go go go And when I'm at home by myself, I'm like, fuck, what am I going to eat today?
neocharge: Like, that's what i have to worry about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: And they got it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: Yeah. So it's definitely family life and and single life are very, very different. It's a different world. But, you know, I respect both worlds.
neocharge: I prefer mine.
Leon Lionheartly: you yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Dude, it's true though. i The other day, our trash night, you know we have trash once a week and my life is not that difficult right now. It's great. I'm very thankful. But I remember being very annoyed that I had to put on pants and crappy shoes to go get the judge roll the trash up and I was just like god my life sucks yeah like while I'm boiling it up and that took me maybe 30 seconds that's not a big deal at all but I was so off put by it because I was in the middle of something else whether it was expanding the chiral network or ninja guide and rage bound I don't remember but I was just mad then I realized that I was a baby
neocharge: So,
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Now you understand why, as a father, when I get home, I put on the slipper shoes and that's it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: If I go anywhere.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeahp
Leon Lionheartly: Because I'm not being convenient to put fucking shoes back on when I was wearing them all day, folks.
neocharge: what
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
neocharge: okay
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Preach.
neocharge: Dude, a big thing down here is Crocs. Are you guys familiar with Crocs? Everyone knows what Crocs are, right? They're like the styrofoam fucking shoes that with holes in them that you just slip on.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
neocharge: um Do you guys have Crocs?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, god no.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. don't knock Don't knock it until you try it. I'm telling you.
neocharge: Oh, that's what I always hear. Guess what? I tried it and I was like, these are basically and two styrofoam bricks. And then i was in Myrtle Beach and we went to a Crocs store and i was like, $80.
neocharge: ah dollars And I was like, well, i mean, this is, yeah, no, it it was the Crocs store.
Leon Lionheartly: no, no, no.
neocharge: And like, i was like, Oh, this is footwear. And I pay $70 for video games and don't bat an eye, but I don't want to pay 70 to $80 for Crocs. It's like, well, I get value out of these, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do your video games have holes in them?
neocharge: No, they don't.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No.
neocharge: And they're not made of basically foam and they take 79 cents to make and they sell them for 80 bucks.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Although...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I guess the disc does have a hole in it.
neocharge: So
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So nevermind. i take back what I said.
neocharge: that's true. That's
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you. You called it back pretty quick.
neocharge: true.
Leon Lionheartly: i was say Matt, you're you're spending the wrong money on Crocs.
neocharge: Oh, wait.
Leon Lionheartly: i
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: i do not I have Crocs, but I don't have the name brand. okay Crocs are the Ray-Bans of these like shoes because Ray-Bans were originally cheap sunglasses until they became popular.
neocharge: Okay.
neocharge: three um
Leon Lionheartly: Go to Walmart and you can get off-brand Crocs for like 15, 20 bucks, depending on which part of the region you're in. And they're perfect. i When I got to take the dog for a walk because it's eight o'clock at night and I'm done with podcasting with you guys, I don't feel like fucking putting shoes on, but I will slide those Crocs on.
neocharge: That's true. Everyone has them here. Everyone has them here. Hey, i have ah I have someone that wants to say hi on the podcast. Another special guest. Who do we have here?
neocharge: who Who are you? Lily Stenson. Yeah, it's my eight-year-old niece. she wants to She wants to say something. Lily, what is your favorite video game of all time?
neocharge: Cuphead. Yeah!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wow.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, wow.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Excellent.
neocharge: right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Excellent. Good choice.
Leon Lionheartly: Awesome. So the real question is, how long did it take for Matt to train you to say that?
neocharge: No, no.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: They were playing it, and I played with them, and they were actually playing it. She's pretty good. She plays as Miss Chalice. Is there anything else you want to say to to my listeners?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): okay
neocharge: Anything else at all? ah page three No. you Okay, so she's being shy. i have a brother who's 10 years old, and his name's Owen, and his favorite game is Payday 3.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Payday three.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, nice.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Has he played one or two?
neocharge: I did. Okay. This, first of all, this was not scripted. Second of all, I think I'm winning as an uncle and I think my brother's winning as a dad because there was, there was no roadblocks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's pretty cool.
neocharge: There was no Fortnite. So it's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Don't say it in front of them. They might, they might just be like, why not?
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: That's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's
neocharge: that's true
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Stay ahead. Stay ahead of the game. Yeah. Well, that's cool. Bob, have you ever played Payday 1 or 2? i don't think I've played any of them, actually.
Leon Lionheartly: i No, I haven't, but I know of them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): not
Leon Lionheartly: um I've heard, i've heard the if I'm correct in this, and this is anecdotal, of course, ah the first one and the second one are they better, and then the third one was this weird had hodgepodge live service kind of like dip in the water, but I could be wrong.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. That's what I thought, too. i had I have a friend who I haven't talked to him in a long time, actually, but ah really liked the Payday series. And he always tried to get me into them, but i I was never that interested.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And now that this 10-year-old is interested, maybe i will like it. I don't know. I'll have to check it out.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): With Matt's permission, of course.
Leon Lionheartly: oh yeah i It's always been one of those umm but I've been interested. um Definitely, ah when it comes to... i don't know. that There's a certain stylization to that game um based on the screenshots that I saw that kind of have my attention, but I've never known anybody that's directly played i've help i any of them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure. Yeah, that's I was trying to remember if I ever played them and I don't think I have. I thought maybe one, but i I couldn't tell you anything about it. So I probably haven't actually played it.
neocharge: I've played. I haven't beat. So what was the one that I've played?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Three or one.
neocharge: It was one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: It was the first one. Yeah. What was the one that you army of two? You wanted me to play that.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, sir.
neocharge: Is that similar in, in, in the same vein?
Leon Lionheartly: No,
neocharge: No, more like a heist game and like, yeah, I haven't played army of two, so I don't know how army of two plays.
Leon Lionheartly: know aside i don't...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you
Leon Lionheartly: Okay, so Army of Two is a... Think of it closer to Gears of War. But the difference is, yeah instead of being just... yeah I mean, yeah, Gears War has multi or co-op, but Army of Two is Gears of War specifically designed behind doing a couch co-op.
neocharge: Nice.
Leon Lionheartly: So it's a military shooter, and there's all kinds of mechanics.
neocharge: OK.
Leon Lionheartly: I could talk about the game all day, because I think it is a very, very underrated gem, and got overshadowed by Gears of War, personally.
neocharge: Might be something we have to stream because we're we're going to try and start streaming at some point. ah <unk> We'll figure that out. So ah let's see.
neocharge: What are we? Let's just get into the news unless you guys any other life stuff, Caleb life stuff.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, I figured if we were going to talk about what games we were playing, ah I mean, my life stuff, I had to, went, saw some family this weekend and went to Cedar Point.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We were there a day after a cable snapped on the ah power tower, which I guess nobody got hurt. Nothing was, was that crazy except the sound. I had two friends that were there when that happened.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they said they were, I think they told me they were riding something else and they just heard well, the sound that you would think a hollow steel cable snapping and clanking everywhere.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then the ride was shut down for the rest of the day. and
neocharge: Isn't that because the whiplash of the cable breaks the sound barrier?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I would assume that that's what happened.
neocharge: And when you break the sound barrier, it's just there's sound waves that can like shatter windows and everything?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They just said it was a wild sound. And ah for what it's worth, not that Cedar Point cares, but nobody was hurt.
neocharge: That's nuts.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And the ride safety precautions did exactly what they were supposed to do. they the The ride just, like people were on it when it happened. And it just slowly lowered them all the way to the ground.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They got them off and no workers were harmed either. They just shut it down and they were like, hey, we should probably figure out what happened.
neocharge: wait Wait, this ride gets you off?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I want to ride this ride.
Leon Lionheartly: you
neocharge: Shit.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, that's why they call it the power tower.
neocharge: um Yeah. I actually rode it in October, believe it or not.
Leon Lionheartly: and
neocharge: I was here visiting again. i went to Cedar Point. Cedar Point's so cool. You were just there. Bob, you ever been to Cedar Point?
Leon Lionheartly: No, no, no. I don't do... right I know this is is coming from a weird guy who used to repel lot of helicopters. I do not do carnival rides, boardwalk rides, none of that shit.
neocharge: Hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: but um When I was a kid, yeah. But as an adult now... new No, no, no, no, no. I've seen way too many videos where like a cable snaps and the safety precautions aren't there because they're too cheap or it fails.
Leon Lionheartly: And then you see 300 people died in a whirl of in ah and a ride that was called the world of death. Yeah, there's a reason why they call it the world of death, okay? Keep me the fuck away, folks.
neocharge: That's it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): here's Here's the thing, though.
neocharge: That's...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cedar Point isn't is no carnival, sir.
neocharge: No, no.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cedar Point is kind of top in this country. I actually do believe objectively that they have the best coasters just all like for one park.
neocharge: It's a...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): they're better there's You could say there's a better coaster somewhere else, or you could say there's a better some kind of experience somewhere else.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: It's...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But Cedar Point kind of sets the standard and then tries to break it often for for the good stuff.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. That's... That's because it's America's rollercoaster.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes, it is.
neocharge: they say that They say that every time you you load on a a coaster. No, dude, Cedar Point's legit. It's like a Six Flags or a Busch Gardens. It's really good, and they have some of the best coasters.
neocharge: So, it's yeah, it's definitely not Carnival. But that's the thrill of the ride, man.
Leon Lionheartly: you
neocharge: i i mean, especially if you if you if you think you're going to die, it makes it more fun.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But na see, I know what Bob's talking about because we've got a state fair here where they had something.
Leon Lionheartly: gentlemen
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I mean, we're we're in Columbus. We're in the capital ah where a ride was just not kept up well.
neocharge: yeah
neocharge: one
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it just broke one day and all these people. So I don't know. i actually don't remember the specifics because we didn't go that day. But we usually try to go to the state fair at least once every year. Cause they also show bunny rabbits and and they have animals and, and I mean, it's Ohio. So of course it's farmers and all that stuff.
neocharge: you
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But they have this big butter cow. They sculpt a cow out of butter. It's like 2000 pounds of butter or some nonsense. So we try to go, but one of the, one of the rides broke and it just, people were just not safe.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I understand where Bob's coming from for what it's worth.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So hear me out on this, okay? I'm going to give you the the logic because I'm a logical being. People are going to say I can hear the the listeners now. All right, Matt, Caleb, last time you went to Cedar Point, think about this. Close your eyes and visualize.
Leon Lionheartly: You're getting ready to go on to that carnival or that roller coaster, that whatever it is, right? You're excited. You've had a bunch of whatever you've eaten and drinking. You're on the line. It sucks sometimes to be in the line. And then I want you to think about who was the attendant
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: na
Leon Lionheartly: running the ride?
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: How old were they? um much How much do you think they care?
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So this is the difference, folks. I will rock climb. I will repel. I will do all kinds of cool stuff because if I go with somebody, that person's going to be there. there It's going to be a professional, and that's all they care. like That's not all they care about, but that's like their life's passion, right?
Leon Lionheartly: Professional rock climbers, skydivers, all of that stuff, right? You go to a carnival. and you're dealing with a 19-year-old kid who's got a summer job and is making $4.50 an hour plus tips maybe and has to get a second job so they can pay the the gas into their car to get to work, how much do you think they really care whether the maintenance guy showed up that night or not?
neocharge: bro
Leon Lionheartly: I'm just throwing it out there.
neocharge: ah cedar point Cedar Point has its own zip
Leon Lionheartly: the who
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah student point does have its own zip code it's it's a it's a town it's it's
Leon Lionheartly: yeah definite and That makes it worse.
neocharge: Yeah. There are adults running this these rides and you know what?
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: Whatever. Bring it on. the The higher the risk, the more the thrill.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): look up the siren's curse bob Just look up the Sirens curse.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: Please.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's a new the newest ride.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And yes, I rode that the other day. Was it just yesterday?
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, two days ago. Geez, I couldn't remember because I'm still recovering.
neocharge: Yep. You rode the gatekeeper?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Gatekeeper, Siren's Curse, Maverick. ah Steel Vengeance is the one that I think Bob would be like, fuck all this.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But that ride is dope too.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, they're all great.
neocharge: Yeah, it is
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): My personal favorite's the Gatekeeper, but when he sees this video of the Siren's Curse and the fact that the...
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Nope.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There it is.
Leon Lionheartly: um Nope. Nope. You know what? I'd rather build that in Roller Coaster Tycoon and not have a stopping point. right
neocharge: Want to my favorite roller coaster Cedar Point? It's a really old one. It's still there. It's still there for a reason. It was there when I went to Cedar Point when I was 15. Long time ago. The Raptor.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Raptor. Yeah, I figured I knew it.
neocharge: It's an then it's inverted hanging coaster and that dive into the ah inverted loop with the double helix.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Fucking incredible. It's amazing. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's pretty great.
neocharge: Yeah, last time I went Cedar Point, i rode ah the roller coasters 25 times. ah We rode like 25 coasters.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Very nice.
neocharge: Yeah. So, um yeah, I love theme parks. I love roller coasters. I'll ride that shit all day, every day. I would love for the Siren's Curse to break down and for them to evacuate us. That's an incredible story.
neocharge: That would be fun.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, it has it has a couple times, and it's it's new.
neocharge: I know, many times. It's...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It's brand new.
neocharge: yeah Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like But it ran, I think it was 5,000 times the first time without any issues at all.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I don't know exactly what they're rigorous, what they do to test these things.
neocharge: Yeah, who knows?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But the engineering is is sound.
neocharge: Oh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, they're not going to just throw people up there and say, ah, if everybody dies, it's fine.
neocharge: yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um so um it's so It's okay.
neocharge: Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Boeing makes airplanes that work really well the first 5,000 times.
neocharge: Right. So for our listeners, just so you just so you understand the concept of what we're talking about before we get into the news, sirens curse, and they take you out, and they you go up the hill, and you go to basically a fallout.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Like there's a piece of track that they stop you on, and then they take that track from 180 degrees and invert degrees when you're on it,
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: and then they drop you down. Kind of like a dive coaster, ah but it's got a new mechanic where the whole track just angles 90 degrees straight down.
neocharge: Oh, give me it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, part of the track is just disconnected on one way or another.
neocharge: I... Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And when you're going when you're looking straight down, i believe it lasts eight seconds before they let you go.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So you you're just, ah they they told us where we had to go.
neocharge: Did you ride in the front?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah it's oh you you're row three, you're row four, you're row five, just to make it a little bit faster.
neocharge: hour
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that doesn't bother me, especially with a new ride.
neocharge: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We were in the front half of the car.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I think we might have been row two or three. I really don't remember. I just remember we weren't in the very front.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And when we looked down, we saw some of our friends that just happened to be there looking right up at us. So they recognize us. They started screaming. It was actually pretty cool. But anyway, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: That's awesome.
neocharge: That's amazing. I rode the front of...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so Oh, yeah.
neocharge: Val Raven. Val Raven's another dive coaster.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: that's That's higher than the Siren's Curse. It's pretty high.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): know
neocharge: It's a ah i't it's a dive coaster that takes you and basically when you're going to the drop, they stop you. And I rode the front and I basically just let go and I was hanging off.
neocharge: And I was just like, take me right now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It's very cool. I feel like Bob is just like, I don't want to talk about this anymore.
neocharge: And then they...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm just looking it at his face.
Leon Lionheartly: No, no. i I enjoy...
neocharge: and
Leon Lionheartly: it I really appreciate that you guys love ah love it. I get my...
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i If i I'm going to do thrills, I would rather do them somewhere else.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: like i It's just the way I'm it's way i'm built.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's fair. Yeah.
neocharge: yeah
Leon Lionheartly: A mechanical mind, you say you break you break the track. like That's additional pieces that could ultimately have failure because everything breaks down.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um But you know i I have no problem doing...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: I would have no problem doing skydiving or I i have no problem with a rock climbing or whatever, right?
neocharge: yeah alive
Leon Lionheartly: Like something physical that I'm in control because I'm a control freak. But when you put me in a seat and say, good luck, hope everything goes well.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Let's do it.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm like, nope, I have zero control. So I'm a complete brit breakdown. i I know I sound like Tony Shalhoub in Monk right now.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: No, Caleb and I love roller coasters. And Bob, I'll go skydiving with you. But yeah, let's get into the news. Let's get into the fucking news. What we got?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: What we got this week?
Leon Lionheartly: Um, well, would you want to start it off my friend?
neocharge: Let's see.
neocharge: I'll start it off. Yeah. So there are let's just kick it off with the new games coming to PlayStation Plus Essentials. We usually don't cover this, but there are some pretty notable games on here. We're we're getting Mortal Kombat one. um We're getting Spider-Man.
neocharge: remastered It's the original Spider-Man Insomniac games on PS5. And we're also getting Sword of the Sea. So Sword of Sea is a brand new game from Giant Squid with the composer of... ah Oh, shit. What's his name? We just talked about him on episode 15. He is going the same composer of Journey.
neocharge: ah He's going to be doing this game. And ah Austin Wintry...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Austin Wintry, just so you know. o
neocharge: Thank you, Brain Fart.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): well
neocharge: We're getting Unicorn Overlord. That's a pretty awesome game. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i So I've played that.
neocharge: Go ahead.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I've played that.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and i'm I'm so excited for all of those. i didn't I actually have not heard this news, so I'm very thrilled to hear it.
neocharge: and
Leon Lionheartly: Bye.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I didn't know that Unicorn Overlord is getting on there too.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's great.
neocharge: yeah Yeah, but these aren't the gems.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Game Assist.
neocharge: The gems have yet to be announced.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay, okay.
neocharge: The gems are ah two of probably the the best PlayStation 1 games that came out. We're getting some PS1 catalog in here. Ones we've been waiting for and asking for for a while.
neocharge: We're getting Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 Nemesis.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, awesome.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Awesome.
neocharge: So um previously you couldn't even, you couldn't even play those at all, but now you can, i believe you can get them part of this subscription or you can buy them straight up. I think PS one games are 10 bucks, which I love that they do that.
neocharge: Right. I love that they're, they, they're not like, Oh, you want to play them? the subscription only or, give Give the option for me to buy it, you know, because I own some black labels and maybe I want to buy it digitally to own it and play it whenever I want.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: And maybe I don't want to fire up my old PS1 hardware and play it on that. But yeah, we're getting some really awesome games and that'll be part of PS Plus Essentials and Premium.
neocharge: So if you're subscribed to Essentials and Premium, you're going to get those games. So I'm very excited for the Sword of the Sea. And that's a brand new game. so I think it's going to be awesome. I have it drafted. I'm super excited for it. i was a big fan of journey, the pathless ab zoo.
neocharge: ah I think it's going to be great.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They don't miss.
neocharge: So, um, yes, yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah, that was a really good pickup for you, for sure. That was good.
neocharge: Did you play the pathless Caleb?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah The Pathless is actually one of the only ones I haven't. I own it, and I just never played it yet.
neocharge: Ah, dang.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I i was ah finishing up some of the older ones, like Abzu. i believe that the last one I played was Abzu, and i it was great. But no, i I know that way back when it came out, you and Bo both were telling me that the Pathless was was damn good.
neocharge: Oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I ended up getting it and just too many games, too many real life things.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I thought this will be here one day and I won't be disappointed when I go back to it.
neocharge: yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I do need to do that for sure.
neocharge: Yup. Yeah. Oh yeah. I hear you. It's the age old tale of, oh my God, there's too many games to play and something's got to give, you know? So, uh, the pathless is incredible.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, the other thing is for games like this, maybe it's just me. I have to be in the right mindset to play them.
neocharge: a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not that they're boring.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't want to say that they're boring.
neocharge: True.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not that. It's just more of a zen-like, ah calming thing.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if I want an action game, i'm I'm not going to pick up. I guess I can't speak for Sword of the Sea, but for Abzu and stuff, that's not a game that you play when you want an adrenaline rush. that's not That's just not what I would do.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So if I wanted to play Wolfenstein, um I'm not going to go play Journey. that you know they just They're different. So with the Pathless, what if you were to describe it as as a any other kind of game, because they're very unique.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All of the things that they do is very unique. But what does anything come to mind?
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Is it more like an eco? Or is it...
neocharge: Journey meets Solar Ash with ah with a dash of Immortals Phoenix.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, really? It's it's okay.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: Yeah. So you have some stacked levels. You have the traversal of Solar Ash. ah You have puzzle solving like Journey had. ah The art style like Journey, of course.
neocharge: But yeah, it was a PS5 launch window title. I don't know if it was a launch title.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: ah Yeah, I'd say those three games combined, ah you have the Pathless with incredible music from incredible composer.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: So yeah, really good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know I'm way behind, but I definitely want to play it.
neocharge: I loved it. we are, man. There's so many games coming out, especially in August. But yeah, I loved it. I platinumed it. Highly recommended. And I couldn't be more excited for Sword of the Sea. actually might play Sword of the Sea right when it comes out. I think it's like this Monday or something, which is a crazy release date.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: Uh... Before I finished Death Stranding and a lot of like those of you who know me know that I rarely play a game before I finish one. But man, you know, it's it's just that feeling. What are you feeling right now?
neocharge: I do need a cozy game and I need to cry my eyes out, I think, because I mean, giant squid is going to make your.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No comment. No comment.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I was going to say, you get you cry? Come to Come to us.
neocharge: No. Yeah. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: come to us we got you.
neocharge: it's It's taken a while to get there, though. I just kind of need like ah a different pace. i I'm like a... Ooh, peace candy. Ooh, peace candy. So in Death Stranding, I'm not mainlining it. I'm not doing the golden path.
neocharge: I'm always like, ah shit. Well, this rail needs built. Oh, this road needs built. Oh, well, i might as well deliver these packages. Oh, this person has three other orders. Oh, this takes me here. It's just a spider web of greatness. I love it.
neocharge: I may just need a break from it, just this tiny one, because Sword of the Sea isn't going to be a long game. They never are. um The Pathless was a little meaty, but I mean, probably what, max 10, 15 hours, which I can totally do.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hmm.
neocharge: I'm super excited for it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: And I'm excited to get back to Death Stranding for sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cool.
neocharge: ah Yeah, yeah. Bob, you're not going to play Sword of the Sea, right? You got play Journey, man. It's three hours. You just got to play it.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, ill ah I'd rather go to Journey first. um It's good to see that Sword of the Sea is on here.
neocharge: Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: um I'll eventually get to it because I know they're shorter, ah more artistic games is a better way to put it. um But I do want to call out on this news...
Leon Lionheartly: For anybody that's interested, i know we're talking about a lot of heavy hitters, but a a sleeper um game in a series that ah kind of enjoy, if you just want to turn your brain off, is ah Earth Defense Force 6.
Leon Lionheartly: um if you haven't Have you either of you guys played ah the Earth Defense Force series?
neocharge: That's with the bugs, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I have not.
neocharge: Like the big bugs?
Leon Lionheartly: So this is like Helldivers, but more arcade-y. It's offline. ah There is couch co-op availability, but it's sci-fi shooter, so it's not just bugs, but you can fight aliens and things like that.
Leon Lionheartly: And you're literally defending the Earth. And in some of those games, it has a lot of the charm that you get with Helldivers 2, where it's over the top. um Like in one of them, they start singing a cadence about squads,
Leon Lionheartly: like squatting the bug or ah ah squatting the bugs and defending earth. It's really, it's much more over the top and arcadey, but it's a lot of fun. Um, if you just want to turn your brain off for a couple hours. so
neocharge: Cool. Cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: Speaking of Helldivers, we got some Helldivers news, don't we, Bob?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, we did. so, I believe you said you saw this too, Caleb. Um,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, this was the only piece of news that I did see.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay, so this is the only piece.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah So yeah, it's on us. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, ah so ah we finally got a trailer for Heldivers 2 to Xbox. Did you guys actually watch this trailer?
neocharge: Yes, I did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah. um I really love the music. I love the cutting, ah the the production in this. ah Just to get saliva in there. like Why didn't we get this out the gate?
Leon Lionheartly: Because I saw it and i was like, fuck, I want to play Helldivers now. ah um but this So this is across multiple media.
neocharge: Right. yeah
Leon Lionheartly: I got this from Video Games Chronicle itself specifically. But at the very end, um right afterwards, and they give you the Xbox logo, there's a small... but fifth 10, maybe 15 second snippet of a single Hellpod dropping.
Leon Lionheartly: And I didn't catch it at this at first. um But there's a little bit of a s saxophone snippet there. And the internet sleuths being the internet sleuths they are, realized that this is directly sampled from Halo ODST's official soundtrack.
Leon Lionheartly: um So now people are conspire are wondering, are we finally getting the one thing that everybody... really wants, which is a Halo and Helldivers crossover.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: I mean, could could there be a more perfect crossover?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Dude, that would be nuts.
neocharge: Could there be a more perfect crossover? Like, L-Divers is basically ODST.
Leon Lionheartly: ah If you think about it, you're a, ah you're not a super soldier. So you're regular ODST.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Remember you're not the super soldiers that are the Spartans you're defending earth against an alien race invasion. Um, and you get to use a lot of guns.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, by the way, there's friendly fire. Sounds like a hell divers to me.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah That's exciting.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i I didn't actually recognize that right away, which is rare for me. I typically can pick up on a score or a soundtrack tease whatever. ah To be honest, though, I wasn't watching it as close. I kind of had it on while I was doing something else just to And that's, I don't do that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But as soon as that information crossed my ears, I went back and I listened and I was like, oh shit, it is. So I was very excited. So that's, yeah, that's a super cool little piece of news.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, absolutely. My only issue is it releases in a tight window.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, man, tell me about it.
neocharge: Toyed is a toy.
Leon Lionheartly: Toy like a tiger.
neocharge: So tight. Crazy. We have so much coming up. like There's so many games coming out in August. and We got Sword of the Sea. We got Metal Gear Solid Delta.
neocharge: We got Gears of War. ah There's one i'm missing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Shinobi, Shinobi.
neocharge: right Shinobi at the end of August, right after Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: so o Yeah, but that's an exciting crossover.
Leon Lionheartly: you
neocharge: I mean, it's not announced officially, but like because they teased it, and I love the ongoing support they're giving this game. I've played 100 hours of Helldivers. I'm down to play more, for sure.
neocharge: ah need to get back into Monster Hunter first, though. Monster Hunter Wilds.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, you do. There was another update.
neocharge: Yeah. Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I actually, when we get to the what we're playing, there's another update.
neocharge: Oh. oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They have nine nine star difficulty monsters now. So...
neocharge: oh my god
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And you get, I almost sent you a picture.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry, minor spoilers for Monster Hunter Wilds. I got, they have like the randomized ah talismans now. So I beat a nine-star Arcvelt, avet ah tempered Arcvelt, and got, I think, three talismans that have, two of them have four skills on it.
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah for Four points of skills, I should say.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not four skills, but four points of skills. And one of them has like three skills with two, one, one. And one of them is pretty dope, but I had to stop to do this podcast. but So I didn't actually get to at theorycraft or anything, but that was kind of exciting.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Super cool.
neocharge: Yeah, we got to get back into that and play it. Monster Hunter Wilds is a good time. So, Bob, we got to get you past high rank.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: We got to get you win, win, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Right.
Leon Lionheartly: you're You're right, because I'm pretty sure, gentlemen, I am booked between August 28th and pretty much all the way through the end of the year. At this point in Junction, I'm pretty confident of that, because I'm going into Metal Gear Solid Delta and to Borderlands 4, into Final Fantasy Tactics Remastered, and by the time I get through those, it's going to be so close to December that I might as well just go ahead and wait for Octopath Traveler Zero.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep. Exactly.
neocharge: Right. And don't forget in October, you can go Sivyote. You got Mina the Hollower. I don't know if you're interested in it, but the demo's out.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: We're going to talk about that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: And Kronos the New Dawn. Don't forget about that. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I do, I actually have to ask you guys, I have to ask you guys, cause I know we've talked about it a little bit, but on your earlier episodes, cause I actually just finally caught up this morning.
neocharge: um many
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I finished episode 15 and I heard you guys talking about it. You were talking about the trailer that you saw. I don't know if I'm just out of my gourd. I'm not that excited for it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I want you guys to sell it to me.
neocharge: Kronos?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it looks fine, but I want it to look great.
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i feel I'm getting a little bit of the same vibes that I got from... was it, Callisto Protocol that came out?
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was that last year or two years ago?
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i actually think Kronos does look better than Callisto Protocol.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Don't get me wrong. But watching the trailer, I was just like, eh. So I kind of want you guys, what was the most recent one?
neocharge: Which trailer did you watch?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was it Nintendo's, the the Nintendo Direct?
neocharge: Yeah. Was it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Well, PlayStation released one too. And yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Shit.
neocharge: Did you watch the PlayStation trailer or the Nintendo switch to trailer?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Pretty sure I saw the Nintendo Switch 2 trailer, I think.
neocharge: Got to watch the PlayStation trailer.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: It runs and looks a lot better.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Not only that, they clarify some of the the extra stuff that you saw in the Nintendo trailer where you're like, okay, that's an interesting mechanic, but how's that actually going to play into this game from an overall arching concept?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Glad to hear it.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: PlayStation comes out and says, okay, this is how we're going to...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I mean, honestly, I can put it for you.
neocharge: little
Leon Lionheartly: It's in the material, but like that, hey, hold you're getting the weapon upgrades, but it requires you know potential changes in timeline.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: All of that is explained in the PlayStation because they go more in-depth on how those mechanics will play out. um And I'm absolutely, absolutely excited for it.
neocharge: yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: you i I walked away feeling a lot better from it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good. I'm glad to hear that because I really, I was just like, i don't get it.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It didn't look bad by any means. I just thought it seemed like another one, it had another one of those. So I will, after we're done, i will watch the the PlayStation one. buts i'm I'm glad to hear that.
neocharge: yeah and let us know for sure. And like Bob said, they go into a little bit more, ah like time travel stuff. So yeah, it's really cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, that's, that makes me, that gives me goosebumps. I love that shit. I eat that up. If they do it well, i eat that up.
neocharge: Oh yeah. Right. Right. I have, uh, I have high hopes. So, uh, let's see any other news, uh, that we have,
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Yep, I got one other thing for you. And this is the other one that you had said you hadn't heard, Caleb. um So, for the Nintendo fans out there, me being included, if you're a Nintendo Switch Online user um and you paid for the expansion pass for the GameCube, on August 21st, Nintendo will be releasing its beloved cult classic, Chibi-Robo.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Really?
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, sir.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): okay All right. I wondered why you wouldn't tell me because I wanted to know, but yeah. All right. That's cool. That's cool. That's a good get.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Yeah, that's a good get. For anybody that's not our not aware or ah know what we're talking about, Chibi Robo came out on the GameCube. This would have been what... I think this was a late-era one. Don't quote me on that.
Leon Lionheartly: um I want to say...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Probably.
Leon Lionheartly: I'd have to go look. I want to say 06 near the end of the life cycle. um
neocharge: That's one of the classics on GameCube, for sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah It says June 23rd, 2005, but I can't confirm if that's Japanese or US. That was...
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, thereabouts, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: joe Okay. all right. i knew it was yeah I knew it was near the end. ah And this is a, you are a little robot running around doing chores. And I mean little, like ah like it a miniature sitting on your desk doing chores for this family.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: Tiny.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah the The difference is you have to keep an eye on your battery and he has this plug that like three prong plug sitting in the, uh, sticking out his ass. And you got to plug into an outlet, uh, to make sure you don't run out of battery life. Um, it's kind of, it's kind of one of those, it's a very, i and I don't mean this under derogatory term and correct me if I'm wrong, gentlemen, in the description, it's very Japanese.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, that's fair.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, Chibi is in the name.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: that's fair
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: you
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: It's great to see this title coming to the the online service. I can't can't wait for more GameCube stuff to come out. It's probably one of my favorite consoles but of all time, I'd say.
neocharge: ah Favorite consoles. not
Leon Lionheartly: going
neocharge: Doesn't include the handhelds, right? But the GameCube just had so many bangers and so many beloved titles for me.
Leon Lionheartly: and get started.
neocharge: Like, I mean, The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess is my favorite game of all time, and it debuted on the GameCube. It was a Wii title as well, but it was made for the GameCube. Metroid Prime, i'll Super Smash Bros.
Leon Lionheartly: get started.
neocharge: Brawl, Luigi's Mansion, the list goes on. So I'm excited that they're they're doing this. I hate that it's a subscription service, but it's exciting to hear new titles come to it nonetheless.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Definitely.
neocharge: So, ah cool. Yeah. That's an awesome piece of news. Let's see. Uh, this is a niche piece of news, but, uh, I'm excited for it. I know you're excited for it, Caleb, just like the dark side is for news.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh my God.
neocharge: Pretty niche, but yeah, you're very excited for it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I can't get any harder. I can't get any harder.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just give me Darksiders 4.
Leon Lionheartly: What's that?
neocharge: Yes, everyone. Darksiders is such a good series. Caleb can attest to this. He's a big fan of it as well. Go play them if you haven't and and be excited for four. You're going to be excited for four if you played any of the Darksiders games. Let me say that. ah So, yeah.
neocharge: Bloodstained, the Scarlet Engagement finally got a PlayStation Store page. And there's some description. and I'm not going to read the whole thing. It's pretty long. But it kind of says that it's going to be a prequel, ah that it's going to be co-op, that we're going to have Leo and Alex, young fighters with the church's Black Wolves clan. and a knight of the kingdom's white stags, lone survivors of an initial unsuccessful expedition.
neocharge: Join Leo and Alex as they rise together to defeat demon Lord Elias's reign of terror. ah So this, this sounds amazing. I am all on board with whatever Ega creates.
neocharge: He unfortunately doesn't do the Castlevania stuff. I hope Konami does. does something with Castlevania IP. ah You know, Castlevania might or might not be on this list we're about to talk about. and Who knows? I'm a big fan of Castlevania, and this is a Castlevania Spiritual Successor.
Leon Lionheartly: right.
neocharge: um The fourth game of the Bloodstained series second mainline, and ah it seems to be a prequel to Bloodstained Ritual of the Night. So I couldn't be more excited for this.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and In IGA, I trust.
neocharge: the
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's all I have to say about it.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm super excited for it. looks great.
neocharge: like yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah it's Same here. I've only played ritual than I think, but I'm with you on that.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: I like how you say the ego, we trust Caleb um ah because remember that is double-edged sword.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um so so So for those that don't know, you know I'm going with that, right?
neocharge: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): True.
Leon Lionheartly: So they the joke here, folks, is so Iga created is the father of Castlevania, goes on, creates his own thing from Capcom, um er and ends up creating a wildly successful fra ah spinoff, right, Blitzname?
Leon Lionheartly: Meanwhile, Inafune is like, bye, and goes to create his own Mega Man inspiration, and he's...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): terrible.
Leon Lionheartly: And he hits the branch and hits him in the face.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So ah that's a double-edged sword. But yes, I agree.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mighty number shit.
neocharge: And who was the third one?
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Oh, yeah, yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. it was
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but
neocharge: It was the third one Konami let go, and he went on to create an amazing new IP, Death Stranding.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I've never heard of it.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: They let
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Never heard of it.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No idea what that is.
neocharge: So Kojima was under Konami making greats like Metal Gear Solid. ah And yeah. And Kojima is finally going back to the technical s sp yeah espionage third-person action of adventure with Phyzzent coming to the place PlayStation 6 probably. So yeah, they let go. they they or I guess they either left or let go Kojima, Igarashi, and Inafune.
neocharge: And like one of them made Mega Man, one of them made Castlevania and one of them made Metal Gear Solid. Like, what are they doing? Do something with the IP, please. Or let it go. Sell it to someone.
neocharge: Give me a fucking Castlevania for the love of God. But, you know, we have Bloodstained. So and Igarashi is the father of Castlevania. So I couldn't be more excited for it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Can I tell you what I've secretly want to happen, but it will never happen. I want Ega and Konami to make up and I want him to connect the bloodstained universe to Castlevania and make like, like a new, a new Castlevania where maybe Miriam shows up or whatever.
neocharge: What?
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Ooh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i know that's a ridiculous pipe dream, but a 40 year old man boy can dream, right? Like that's, that's, that would make me so happy.
neocharge: Hell yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cause I do, want another Castlevania game. I, I,
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Lords of shadow.
neocharge: I think it's in the works.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): First one was awesome. I think people were too hard on it.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The second one, we don't talk about the second one, but like they, yeah.
neocharge: We're going to talk about second one. Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Castlevania deserves, deserves some more love for sure.
neocharge: Yeah. I love Lords of shadow. It's one of my, uh, it's, it's not one of my favorite Castlevanias. It's, it's in the, it's a really good third person action adventure game that I actually liked way more than other people did.
neocharge: And I think it's a great Castlevania game and it's, uh, it's very integral to the story.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I'm not going to spoil anything because i'm probably going to remaster it at some point, but yeah, uh, love me some Castlevania as you're going to see in this list, of course.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: so Uh, but yeah, it it says experience the epiphany combat system, uh, like it has uh synergy moves where if you if you do the same uh combo or move at the same time it does like a super combo or a super move to the screen uh looks awesome same art style there's crafting cooking customization personalization um yeah it should be should be great and it's co-op too so i'm uh i'm very excited for that
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): did So you said it's there's a it's on PSN now. Do they have a release window or a date?
neocharge: ah No, no release date to be determined.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: So yeah, if you're excited for that, um go on PSN, go on steam, go on whatever platforms it's on and add it to your wishlist. This, this helps them ah gauge the excitement for it and gauge who's going to probably buy it. And it it just helps with the marketing and the the publishing and stuff like that. So if you are interested in it, go wishlist it.
neocharge: I, I have a wish list. So I couldn't be.
Leon Lionheartly: That's awesome, to man.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah. yeah and So um any other news?
Leon Lionheartly: No, I don't have any news, but I do have to ask or bring it up because, Caleb, you mentioned it, okay?
neocharge: ah for
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: If your dream is the Castlevania and Bloodstained crossover, my dream now is to have Sandported Bridges meet Solid Snake at some point.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Dude, so like slightest, it's not a spoiler. I'm not ruining anything, but it could be if anybody doesn't want to hear anything about Death Stranding 2, then just stop listening for 30 seconds.
Leon Lionheartly: Skip.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Seriously. But when you see the the bandana, at the headband, I was like, are they going to do it? And then it's not related to that at all. But it was it was a cool little homage, I think.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But that's just me.
Leon Lionheartly: ah yeah No, you're right. And I'm going to tell people we're getting the spoiler because I'm going to give you 30 seconds. Matt, note you're good. All right. ae Did you see Gray Fox when the ninja first showed up?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, I thought I did.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it does it like ah Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah. yeah
Leon Lionheartly: I was like, holy shit.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah.
neocharge: To be clear, not literally Gray Fox.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: ah so yeah oh Yeah, absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just in my brain, I was like, I see, I see you Kojima.
Leon Lionheartly: in
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thank you.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I did. I have to ask you, Bob, ah are you, cause I know you on the earlier cast, you had talked about, um,
neocharge: yeah
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): working on the platinum because you finished Death Stranding 2, which is great. And you did say it was now your game of the year. It overtook Claire Obscure, which I think I, I taught, we talked about it on the other episode, the last episode that I did with you guys, where it, I was worried that it was going to overtake Claire for me.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if it wins the end of the year, instead of Claire, I'm not going to be upset about it. I'll be upset for Claire, but I won't. It's, it's just, it's a shame because I feel like they both deserve all the, all the candy and all of the joy and all the beer in the world.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But did you end up ah platinum-ing it? Did you, did you finish?
Leon Lionheartly: Well, I mean, let's just, if you want, Matt, let's just jump into what we're playing. yeah ah know So, yeah, that is a great segue.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay, there you go. Sorry.
neocharge: Let's do it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: This is a great segue. Love it.
Leon Lionheartly: um No, I'm still playing Death Stranding 2. I keep getting distracted by ah full disclosure i for the audience. So, Riot, the the company that makes League of Legends, ah finally released my favorite game mode.
Leon Lionheartly: It's the only one I will play. ah actively go and play um called Earth Ultra Rapid Fire. Basically, everything's on cooldown and it's just chaos on the field and you all have a bunch of fun, right?
Leon Lionheartly: um That kind of got me distracted.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that Sounds awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, yes, yes, yes. So... but so but ah being there For the uninitiated or people who don't understand video game concepts, I don't know why you're listening still.
Leon Lionheartly: Maybe because I'm unhinged. ah But for you video game folks, your champion has no mana resources or resource restrictions in place. So you have an unlimited mana. All of the cooldowns on your abilities are ah start at 80%.
Leon Lionheartly: You can increase that even further. um And then a bunch of other stuff that comes into play. So it's just chaos, chaos, chaos, spell slinging, having fun.
Leon Lionheartly: um But all of that to be said, i have not Platinum Death Stranding 2. I am working on it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: i Got a couple of the smaller stuff knocked out. Um, seeing some of the Easter eggs, uh, that are hidden hidden throughout the game. Um, which made me love it even more.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, if I'm being honest. Uh, and, uh, I think really right now I'm at that point where I just need a five star shit and it is so tough. ah Uh, uh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, there's there's one specific that I will tell you when Matt is not here so it doesn't ruin anything since you you're already through all the things. Just to save you some time. Because I didn't know this until I was finished.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because it it was one of those games where I was like, I'm not even going to look anything up. i'm I'm just not. i'm gonna do I'm going to do everything that I can and I will only look something up if I just can't figure it out. And there was one piece of shit that I couldn't five star. And I thought I, I actually thought it was bugged.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that's the only thing I looked up. And then I learned something that I was like, well, fuck you. I, that's the only part of the game where I was actively annoyed. And I was, I just thought that's, that's not great, but other, I mean, that's like a, that's a very minor thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So.
Leon Lionheartly: um I'm 95% sure. correct ah Correct. Correction. I'm 99% sure I know who you're talking about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um i love him yeah I can't say anything with Matt here, but...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, exactly. Like, I don't want to say anything else, but yeah, so.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, but five stars have been rough. I'll collect as many ah orders as I can, get a bunch of lost packages, have them delivered.
Leon Lionheartly: i'll get I legit, for some of these on five stars, where it's at the start of the five-star rank, I'll hit 2,500 likes, um and then I watch the bar go, and it's like at the halfway point of the fifth star.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're right.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's like 5%.
Leon Lionheartly: And it's so... Yeah, it's so depressing ah that it makes me want cry. But here's the difference, guys. And this is the big key. And this is why Death Stranding 2 is my game of the year. Okay?
Leon Lionheartly: In Claire Obscure, nearly perfect game, same with Death Stranding, to get some of the achievements in Claire Obscure kind of felt like a grind and a challenge.
Leon Lionheartly: Getting level, max level, for example, or whatever, right? In Death Stranding 2, you're challenged to to get, um spoilers, you got to get five stars on everybody. if you haven't If you didn't know that, you got go play Death Stranding 1.
Leon Lionheartly: But i can challenge I see that and I go, oh, that sucks. And then I go, wait a minute. I can go do this and then go around and I can do all of this. And then I'll come back to this guy in a little while and there'll be a bunch of more stuff and then I'll drop it off.
Leon Lionheartly: i I don't feel disheartened when I go, man, that's a huge challenge. I feel like I'm excited to do this. I don't get... i'm um I guess, like I said, I'm not disheartened for the grind.
neocharge: you
Leon Lionheartly: And I think that's the difference. There's such a charm to Death Stranding 2 that... um that You don't care the fact that I'm just spending, i literally spent three hours last night running around in my truck delivering packages and I had zero care in the world.
Leon Lionheartly: The only thing I was worried about was the next morning because I didn't get enough sleep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, that...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It's funny that you say that specifically about not feeling disheartened by the grind, because I agree. I understand exactly what you mean, except for the one thing that I'm not going to say in front of Matt.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That was the only time I even I told another friend of mine who was asking. He's like, I live vicariously through you. I don't have time to play it. Tell me all the spoilers. So I was explaining this to him and he's just like, man, what a bummer. And I said, yeah, but if it's I i don't know the exact number, if there's like 46 people that you can. I really don't know the number.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): if 45 of them are great and one of them is an annoying piece of shit, that's still a pretty good track record, you know? So I can't be that mad, but I just thought, man, I wish I'd have known that earlier.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cause the game does sort of inform you of stuff like that. You can, if you pay attention, except for this one, this is the only one that, that is sort of a, its own deal.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I thought that's kind of shitty, but again, that's being like super critical.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's, that's being really critical.
Leon Lionheartly: I... I...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I, my platinum was what? 120,000, some hours. I honestly don't even remember now. And 40 of that was me just driving around like a dickhead fixing roads.
Leon Lionheartly: a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It didn't even have anything to do with the trophies.
Leon Lionheartly: a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just had fun. And that's what games are about.
Leon Lionheartly: ah youre yeah You're right. And I will say Death Stranding 1 did something similar. So it's this is just being nitpicky. I mean, you know what I mean.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I do.
Leon Lionheartly: um near the end Near the end of the game. ah It's one of those, yeah they don't give you a hint. um But I, so I was, and I'm not going to be very vague here, but somebody posted on Reddit, on the Death Stranding Reddit, they were like, hey, I saw this.
Leon Lionheartly: What's this all about? Can somebody help me? And the top three comments were, well, if you go read the codec, you'd be okay.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. I
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: I just encountered one of those where I got to a place in the game ah that has a specific puzzle ah that you you have to go into the codec for, which is awesome, or the corpus.
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: Corpus, that's it. Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): knew what you meant.
neocharge: Yeah. And that was that was cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah. Oh, yeah. I like that you can go and you have a list of every single person and it tells you like the open orders they have. um That's very nice. And if there's a search function. This was not in one.
neocharge: ah In one, it was a different beast altogether. But i I like that quality of life enhancement that you can like search open orders across the entire region you're in.
neocharge: yeah. yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You want to know when I figured out that search function existed?
neocharge: I'm still about... Oh, no.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, no.
neocharge: Why?
Leon Lionheartly: Way too late.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was on the last chapter and I was just like, I can't figure out where the fuck to go for this thing.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I i i opened the menu by accident, the sub menu, I guess. And I felt real dumb, like really dumb, because I know that they tell you before that.
neocharge: Oh, no.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I usually don't miss stuff like that. I don't know what the hell I was on. But I thought, man, this would have been useful 85 hours ago. Thanks.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it is a very great feature. I'm glad that you found it.
Leon Lionheartly: In your defense, there is a trophy.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i know what you have to do for it. The problem is i don't know specifically where in the game, which menu options I have to select in order to get this thing to to to do what I want it to do.
Leon Lionheartly: And I read the menus and I'm looking and I'm like, I don't see it. I don't see it. So I may have to break down and go look it up. ah ah We could talk about it later.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You could also just ask me. Yeah, because i I've got it.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I got all the things, so I can tell you whatever you need to know.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. Yeah. the Yeah.
neocharge: yeah
Leon Lionheartly: We'll chat offline, but, uh, yeah, Death Stranding 2, um, still grinding away. um it's probably my, going to be my grind away game as well as doing maybe, i don't know, whatever random platformer I can find, um, until Metal Gear Solid, uh, Delta hits.
neocharge: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cool.
neocharge: yeah and's ah Yeah, you're on the heels of Metal Gear Solid Delta straight from Death Stranding. so I haven't got to play any Death Stranding. That's definitely the game I'm i'm going through, loving every second of it.
neocharge: ah It's just a vibe, and i love doing everything in it. it The world's better than... two on a technical level. I still think I like one better just because it was so new and it's a new IP and it's, uh, but I'm only halfway through, I think. So I'll save my, which one I think is better until I beat two. Uh, I got to say like the last cut scene I saw, I was like mouth wide open. I'm like, holy Shit.
neocharge: ah So it's the cut scene at the last part of episode seven, if that tells you anything. So, or six, episode six.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah Seven.
neocharge: I don't know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you You're on eight right now.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): is It was seven. Based on what you told me, it's it's seven.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that was very cool.
neocharge: Right. Yeah. Oh, man. And then it gives you that music track to listen to. And I'm just like, oh, it's so, so good. So I'm loving Death Stranding.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: Can't play it now. So I've been traveling. So I have my Switch 2. And I've been playing a really cool game. It's a breakthrough Switch 2 title because I have the brand new Switch 2.
neocharge: Never mind. No, it's not. It's going to be a multi-platform title. It's just crazy because I have this Switch 2 and I haven't played one fucking Switch 2 game on it. And it's been like two months.
neocharge: ah No. So a game that we, Caleb and I, I think you might be excited for it too, Bob, is coming out. There's a demo for it. And that's Mina the Hollower.
neocharge: And I heard about this demo and I was like, I was literally on the plane and of course the plane got delayed because they had to fucking change the tire on the plane, of course.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Awesome.
neocharge: Why why wouldn't why wouldn't that happen? ah No, we were on the tarmac just sitting at the gate for hour and a half and I found out there's a Mina the Hollower demo out on Switch 2 right now.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: And I was like, well, fuck. And I downloaded it And I downloaded it just in time and then we took off. So I played ah the demo two and a half times because there are choices you can make in the beginning. You can choose your weapon.
neocharge: So, man, from what I played, it's an 8-bit style. ah You're a little mouse and you can go underground to go faster. It's top down like your old 8-bit Zeldas, like you know ah Oracle of Ages, the original Zelda.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: And you got a dash of Castlevania in there too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So cool.
neocharge: So, yeah. But then, wait, there's more. It's Zelda, Castlevania, and guess what? It's a fucking Soulsborne. So... It is amazing. I loved everything I played on it.
neocharge: I chose ah the middle weapon first. I don't know. Did you choose the first weapon first, Caleb?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's the I only played it the one time ah because actually after I got about 15 minutes or at probably like 10 minutes in, I almost stopped because I thought this is, I don't want to see anymore and then wait until October.
neocharge: Okay. Right.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, fuck that. ah But I decided, no, the demo's out. I want to talk about it. well I'll just play through the whole thing. So I did, I made the first choice. I tried all three of them in that little room right away.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): because you could you could like turn it back in and change your weapon.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um I made the first choice, though, and I thought, yeah, this is more my jam than anything else.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I still want to go back and try the other ones, but I was very happy with the way it played, we very happy with the way it sounded, the way it felt.
neocharge: Oh yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That demo was really, really solid. I was excited before, and i when I'm and this excited, I usually don't even play a demo, but after playing it, I was even more excited.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's like that That game is ah gave his fucking rad. Like we're, we have a winner on our hands, boys.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. It's definitely going to be a hit. I called it a Zelda Vania Born.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: That's, uh, I was like, holy shit. It's a Zelda Vania born. The pixel art is gorgeous.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Uh, the beginning cut scene, the intro video, gorgeous. The gameplay is tight. Uh, it is challenging, but fair. Uh, there's some really cool mechanics and, upgrade systems in the game.
neocharge: And, uh, yeah, Yacht Club has done it again, I think. Uh, and did you get in the demo? Did you get some, maybe Super Mario Land 2 vibes? Where you have to go to this.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): A little bit.
neocharge: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, a little bit. i was really i i was trying not to get too immersed and just explore everything that I could because I thought I'll just wait for the full release.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it was it was hard. And that's that's the thing that that kind of separates... ah Those kind of games, the great from the good. It's just the greats, you want to explore and you just do it naturally.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Whereas the goods, you sometimes feel compelled to just to to move forward.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But in this, I was interested in every frame. just thought, what is this? How did Yacht Club Games, for people who don't know, they also did Shovel Knight. um yeah How did Yacht Club Games do it again? it's It's just, it it that game looks amazing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Great. I love the main character. Immediately, she's just got an instant charm as soon as you see what she looks like in the and the pixel art.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And i yeah, I think they just created another smash. i'm I'm super excited about it. Are you excited for it Bob?
neocharge: oh yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): or Are you interested at all?
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, there's a reason I haven't gotten the demo. And it's not because I'm not excited. It's because I know a good game when I see it.
neocharge: Oh.
Leon Lionheartly: I don't need to...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Same thing. So Mina and the other one that's queried Elliot... ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: but I have zero reason to play either one of those because I look at them and I go, yep, that's a winner.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep. Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: ah chief ah So yeah, I'm excited for it. um I played a bit of Shovel Knight. My son, my middle child, he played a lot of Shovel Knight as well.
Leon Lionheartly: um Love, love what they're going for with there. um And I'm just curious to see what other kind of inspiration. That's what I really liked about Hollow Knight was the inspirations. So I'm curious to see what else is going to be like.
Leon Lionheartly: and i And I mean by like gameplay mechanics, callbacks to, well, quite frankly, the 8 and 16 bit era and see what else they're going to bring to the table.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're going to love it, man.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You really are. it's It's great. The demo's great.
neocharge: Yep. I was a little hesitant to start the demo as well, ah but I took the dive and yeah this was a Kickstarter game. And I think Caleb, did you back it, Bob?
Leon Lionheartly: No, no. they got enough They got enough money.
neocharge: Yeah. I was wondering...
Leon Lionheartly: They're okay.
neocharge: yeah it It was announced a while back, and this was on the heels of Cyber Shadow, which is another Yacht Club game, which is in the vein of Ninja Gaiden, which we're probably about to talk about as well.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We are.
neocharge: and yeah And yeah, man, they they haven't missed. They've been working on this for a while. It got delayed a couple times, but you know I feel like they delayed it for the right reason.
neocharge: I can see the polish, the care, and the the passion. that's in this game. So I couldn't be more excited. i was pretty excited. I'm really excited now just to get a taste of it.
neocharge: And the demo, it, it gives you ah good amount, but it, I, from what I've seen and what I'm thinking the game's going to be, i don't think it, It's like the intro, basically, I'd say.
neocharge: Didn't go into anything else, and it's just a slice of the whole pie we're about to get October 31st. So, yeah, Mina the Hollower, if you're at all interested, if you loved any sort 8-bit Zelda or 8-bit Castlevania, or you you know you want to nice little Soulsborne to beat your ass with a little mouse and her huge-ass fucking hammer, yeah.
neocharge: Go check it out. It's really cool. It's a free demo. And it's pretty beefy demo.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: you can get I mean, it's like 40 minutes to ah an hour. ah My first run was like an hour. i was just exploring everything. I was just going in every little nook and cranny. The secrets in this game are pretty robust.
neocharge: Like, there are a lot of secrets.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it's very cool. Very cool.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, my I think my one and only run was 38 minutes, I think.
neocharge: So... Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and i And know I died twice. Both of those were me being an absolute idiot.
Leon Lionheartly: you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, I'm going to try to jump in this hole. I think I could go down there. You cannot. And I didn't realize that I had very low health. So it's like, that's a shitty death. But ah yeah, I took my time.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I also actively tried not to explore a bunch other than just if it naturally happened. So I would say a solid 40 minutes to an hour just for the average gamer, unless you're a speed running jerk that only cares about your stats. Just just have fun with it If you're going the demo, have fun with it. it's it's it was the The feeling I got when I started it was when I was a kid and I would rent a new game and the game sucked, I was just disappointed the whole weekend.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When the game was really, really good,
neocharge: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it just You could just tell as soon as it started, you're like, yeah, this is going to be my Friday and Saturday night. That that's that was me, at least. That feeling was immediate. As soon as the opening thing happened, I was like, oh, shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, shit. This is good. So, yeah, i'm I'm glad that you kind of talked me into playing the demo because I really wasn't going to, but I'm glad that we got to talk about it a bit. For sure.
neocharge: Yeah, and you nailed it. It's the nostalgia, right? It's it's going back to the ah one of the greatest eras of of video games when they they first released n NES, ah even Game Boy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It's in that art style, and it's 8-bit. Bob, you should just just download the demo and check it out. What else are you doing on your Switch 2? You're not playing any Switch 2 games.
Leon Lionheartly: well Not yet, anyways.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But to be fair though, when when you talk about the nostalgia, that's absolutely right. But what this game does, that that a lot of some of the other ah older school
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): in genre style games do such as I don't want to give away too many. We might be talking about coming up here, but like ah we've, we've talked about sea of stars before on, on this show.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um Sea of stars obviously pulls all the past to present day and they evolve it. They make it stand up to now. Right. mean, the hollower does the same thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They, it's just like, damn, this game couldn't have existed 30 years ago. because of how they were able to make the gameplay mechanics work for them, but feels really good in that, in that vein and also keeps it fresh and new.
neocharge: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that's, that's really hard to do. So I applaud them for finding a way to like, uh, shovel night was more like a mega man.
Leon Lionheartly: so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And this is more like the three or four game styles that you mentioned. So that's just like, hell yeah.
neocharge: Yep. So, incredible demo. If you're yeah on the fence about it or you're just excited to play it, ah go check it out. It's awesome.
neocharge: ah Let's see. Speaking of another 16-bit game, you guys have been playing. I think both of you... Have you been playing it, Bob? I know you've been playing Caleb.
Leon Lionheartly: um Depends.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm having a brain fart right now, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): are you Are you raging?
neocharge: Ninja Gaiden Ragebound.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Are you raging right now?
Leon Lionheartly: i will
neocharge: Ragebound. Are you bound to rage?
Leon Lionheartly: i That's probably going to be this weekend. i'm going to sit down with oh the shit. No, because we got something else going on this weekend. See, this this is my problem.
neocharge: We do. Go
Leon Lionheartly: I got something going on. It is on my list. I promise, folks. This has my attention. had my attention since ah since the fucking thirty so first three seconds of the trailer.
neocharge: ahead.
Leon Lionheartly: um I saw it was an in a Ninja Gaiden game.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: um So, please, take it away. ah Give me all of the glory that is rage-bound.
neocharge: Yes, please, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right.
neocharge: Because I haven't played it yet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um So here's the thing. I have to preface this because, again, when I come on here and i'm I'm super critical about stuff, I feel like I'm shitting on it and I don't want to shit on it. I like Ninja Gaiden Ragebound quite a bit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I do. let me Before I talk to talk about Ragebound, because that's sort of my main game right now,
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to just rapid fire the other things because the last two days have been a demo and demo playing and and just cleaning up new things. Monster Hunter Wilds got the new the new patch ah like last night or today. but Whenever the hell I did it. The first time I played was today.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But I was doing the Flame Fit Festival, which was the last couple of weeks. So lot of new stuff in Monster Hunter Wilds. lot of weapon changes, lot of weapon upgrades. No real downgrades or sidegrades from what I can tell.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not that I'm any expert. I'm a insect glaive through and through, but, uh, yeah, I think you'll be happy. couple more monsters, couple more difficulties, new skills or not new skills, excuse me, new talismans, new stuff.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that's awesome. Marvel rivals. I'll jump back into that every now and again, cause I'm a huge Marvel fan and and there's a new season. So yeah. Uh, The demos, Mean of the Hollower, big obvious one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I also decided to download the Shinobi demo because I am very excited about Shinobi. I'm um'm that weird ass guy that I like Ninja Gaiden better when it went 3D. And I like Shinobi better than Ninja Gaiden on the old school, which is like the opposite of what a normal ass gamer should think. I fully admit that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I thought that Shinobi had such a neat... ah just untapped potential. Ninja Gaiden kept going. They went with the Xbox, they went fully 3D, and then made some really difficult, really, really, really well-crafted games.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah So it was interesting that Ninja Gaiden Ragebound was dropping in July. And then a new Shinobi was dropping at the end of August. And I've always wanted to compare stylistically side by side.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I thought, well, now's my chance. I'm probably 85% through Ragebound, I would guess, based on collectibles and trophies and stuff.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And with Shinobi, I was like, yeah, all right, let's just see. It might be dangerous for me to jump into another Ninja demo. because the controls might be different. And I will admit they are. And as soon as I went back to rage bound, immediately made like two stupid mistakes. I was like, yep, that was a bad idea.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But, I'm actually more excited for the Shinobi game to come out now than I was before. And I was i was already excited.
neocharge: wow
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not because I drafted it, because I fucking love Shinobi. So those have been my things, the demos and stuff. But on to Ragebound. So here's the thing about Ninja Gaiden Ragebound. Soundtrack and score, which I actually would say it kind of has both.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): awesome. It's very just immediately. Yes. Yes, please. Uh, pixel art is great. Feels really good. Controls are relatively tight. There are a few things that bother me and I don't know if it's just because the difficulty is a different kind of difficulty. I really can't put my finger on it yet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Um, I think the game, And I i mean, i'm I'm a talented enough gamer. It's not that I can't do it. I think that at certain points, it's just slightly too hard for a first playthrough.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think, I just, I don't know what it is. I can't figure out, because I've been able to do it. It's no problem there. It's just like, man, I'm a little more pissed off than I wanted to be, even though I just beat the boss or the stage or whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: let me Let me interject. When he says he's a good gamer, he's super fucking humble because he's one of the most skilled gamers I know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): sure
neocharge: This motherfucker, I've seen play games. I've seen his trophy list. You have incredible skill with video games, sir. So if you say that Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is and hard, it's fucking hard.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah yeah
neocharge: So just wanted to interject.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I will say there's an, well, thank you. Thanks, buddy.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I appreciate that. There's an assist mode in the game that they, they make it. So it's accessible to other players. And that's awesome. I actually don't have a problem with that. My problem is I don't, I didn't even look at it. I didn't I saw that it was a thing and I turned it off immediately. i mean, it was off already, but I just kept it off.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Had no idea what it was. I got a little pissed off yesterday when I was playing ah stage, mostly because there was a challenge that I actually didn't understand what they meant. So it wasn't necessarily the game's fault. I was just like, I don't understand what the fuck I'm supposed to do here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not that I can't, it's just that I'm dumb. Well, I decided just to mess around. I was like, i'm going to turn on the assist mode and just see what it is so that when we're on the podcast, I can talk about it and just educate people.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I turned it on for a level that I had already played and I went back and I'm not going to lie. I kind of had more fun with the assist mode on than when it was off. And that's super weird for me to just say, like I mean, I did, I turned it on where you basically almost can't die.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you can You can take no damage. Now, if you fall down a pit, you're still dead. But like if you get hit, you'll get knocked back, but it doesn't take your health down. um And i normally I'd kind of scoff at that for a first-time playthrough.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I would just think, why isn't the normal difficulty more accessible to to everybody? And I'm really glad that they threw it in there just so that if you want to just have fun and be a ninja and not worry about that shit, you can.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's cool. But when I went back to the assist mode off, I was like, God damn, these these enemies are just, they're more annoying than cleverly placed in certain areas of the levels. That's the best way I can describe it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But that's me being hypercritical.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The game is really solid. ah One real real problem that I didn't think I had until I played the Shinobi demo, there's no voice acting in Ninja Gaiden Ragebound. It's text and that's fine.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The text is simple. It's it's in those older vein games. But Shinobi does have voice. And it really adds a lot, even though it's it's still simple ah dialogue. Oh, Joe Musashi, here you are. Whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's I just feel like Shinobi, they're very different games. Shinobi is more, ah it looks beautiful graphics. It's not intended to be pixel art.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): right? And Ninja Gaiden is intended to be pixel art and the style. So i did that's the closest thing I can say to compare it apples to apples. I know they're very different games. I know they're made for very different people.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um I tend to like them both. But If you're on the fence of Outrage Bound as a listener and you are you do not like difficult games, my advice is seriously, give it a shot on the normal difficulty.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just go through. And if you get pissed off, don't be embarrassed to turn on that assist mode. Because i I really did have fun in the old stage. I was like, this is cool. I can't wait to beat the game. And then go back on assist mode for the whole thing just to fuck around in their little in their game. Because they Dotemu knows what to do. They know how to make a good game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's just It's kind of a bummer that I felt a little off-put at first because that's not what I wanted with Ninja Gaiden Ragebound. If I was giving it a score, I'd probably give it a solid 85, which is still awesome.
neocharge: That's good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think, what did it get? Like an 88? 87, 88? Something like that?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that's, yeah, yeah like I'm really close.
Leon Lionheartly: Mm-hmm.
neocharge: 89, I think.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's just those really, really minor things. And I'm not done with it yet. But I was telling Matt when we had lunch, I thought I was halfway through and I'd only played it for three hours. So if, if game length is a problem for people, I mean, these games are made to be played over and over again.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So don't, don't take that as a negative, but I was a little surprised that I was that far.
neocharge: Right. my
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then when I came home and I played it some more 86, Oh, well, so it's getting closer to what I would rate it anyway.
neocharge: 86. It's landed at 86. Yep. Dang. Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's cool. ah But the demo I played for Shinobi, i was like, fuck, this is like a 92 for me right now.
neocharge: and
neocharge: o
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Now that's just a demo.
neocharge: dang
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But yeah, i Ragebound is very good.
neocharge: okay
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just, I wish it were slightly easier for a first time playthrough, just so you could have fun with the game. Just as an as an average gamer, it's nice to have fun with the game. Now there's somebody out there listening right now that's like, hey, you asshole, all the Ninja Gaiden games were real fucking hard back in the day.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they're not wrong. You, sir, or lady are not wrong.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just, I don't know, maybe it's because I'm 40 now and I'm like, I don't want to be mad. It is called Ragebound in its defense.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's part of but but it. But it's really solid. I can't nitpick too much. I do think it's good. So that's that's what I've been playing mostly.
neocharge: yeah um yeah
Leon Lionheartly: That's awesome. I have one question though.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Is there knockback? And you know what I mean.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: All right. That's all I need.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. and but But sometimes it's a, well, there's knockback to you.
Leon Lionheartly: i
Leon Lionheartly: That's what I'm talking about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not, yeah, but.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: That was what yeah was the difference but for the original and Ninja Gaiden. The little fucking bat hit me and I got knocked back and went into the pit. I love that shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I love that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It feels jank, but there's some nostalgic I think about that.......
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. there's this There's a few mechanics that I feel like they say, hey, you're going to do this, you're going to do this, and then it's going to pay off this way.
neocharge: oh yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And you run into this set of mobs and you can't do the thing that they want you to do, even though you know you need to do the thing. And so you have to sort of wait for a second. And then that opportunity presents itself.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And for me, I'm trying to be really vague on purpose since you haven't really gotten into it yet, but... It's like they want you to move fast because they time the levels. these It's like not necessarily made for speed runners, but...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You can't move fast the first time.
Leon Lionheartly: Interesting.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and And I mean, I have pretty good reflexes. I know part of it is a little bit of pride and I don't want to be prideful, but it's like, man, I'm better than that. Why did I fucking die? And it's like, oh, because I didn't know that this thing could have possibly been done this way until I died over and over and over again.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that is somewhat the style. But as an older guy now I mean, as an older gamer, your average gamer, I'm just like, if I could do it the first time through because I'm skilled enough, I feel like I've earned that right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And there are some deaths where I was like, I don't feel like that was a skill issue. I feel like that was just a stupid fuck you of the game. And maybe that's not right. Maybe I, I mean, I wondered, I was like, maybe I'm just bad now.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I loaded up something else that was real hard. And I was like, Nope, I still got it. It's, it's the game, but the game is really good. Again, I'm being super hypercritical. It's, it's a ah really good time, but do, do not be embarrassed if you're old or if you're not as good at games and you want to experience a good game, turn on the assist mode and don't feel bad about it because it's still really fun with a c assist mode on for, for what it's worth.
neocharge: sure
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah like So what I heard is that what you described there, the I know it wasn't me, it was the game. I imagine this in my head and i that that's Matt when he's trying to play a Soulsborne game.
neocharge: Like Sekiro.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Just Sekiro. Just Sekiro.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Stupid fucking guy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: got i can So I'm going to keep that circle around and I'll continue to make fun of myself now because that's me when it came to Black Myth Wukong.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There's plenty of people did wrong in the game for sure.
neocharge: hey man Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There's just these instances every so often where I'm like, man, that was dumb. And then you go back and you're like, it's still dumb. but Like i I can't, I don't like the way that worked, you know?
Leon Lionheartly: Fuck that game.
neocharge: Oh, yep, yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, you'll have that.
neocharge: You tried fighting the rat boss over at my place.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, really? All right.
neocharge: Couldn't get him. Yep. So, no, did you get the rat boss at my place? I thought you did.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, I think I did. um there is Yeah, there was something else that just pissed me off.
neocharge: Yeah, but then you never played anymore. So, I mean, I platinum Black Myth. I platinum Liza P. I platinum Demon's Souls. So, I mean, it's just that one fucking Soulsborne, man. Sekiro. Caleb had a good idea.
neocharge: He said, you should play Sekiro and ah stream it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I did it.
neocharge: And just... Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But here's the thing. i Because it's not about being embarrassed.
neocharge: Yeah. No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's First of all, it's it's kind of your white whale, right?
neocharge: I don't care.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's a little bit of a white whale for the Souls series.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The game, actually think Sekiro is the hardest of all the Souls games.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I do.
neocharge: Oh, good to know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um i fucking loved it. i yeah i have I don't think there's a Souls game. I have a Platinum diet that I have played. i don't I'm not sure. um But Sekiro is one that was like...
neocharge: Crazy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i I don't know. I just felt it. And then when I got my ass destroyed later, I was like, this game is hard as fuck. like i just Because at first it was really easy for me, the parrying system.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It just made sense. It clicked. I don't know why, because I was garbage appearing and in the other Souls games. But I think because Sekiro was faster paced and more samurai oriented and and with with actual sword deflection and fast movement instead of this weird...
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, I call it Souls Jank. I don't know what else to call it, but the Souls Jank, you know, like when you're trying, when you have a sword and a shield, a small shield and you try to parry in a Souls game and the older ones, it's almost like the timing.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You, once you learn the timing, you're fine, but it doesn't always match the visuals. And in Sekiro, it matched almost perfectly.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was, it was great, especially since it was on last gen consoles, but it, Sekiro was very, very hard.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So when Matt was very upset at Sekiro, I was like, dude, I feel you.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We've all been there, but like, game is fucking hard don't but don't be too hard on yourself that game is hard so i think if he streamed it for people and people could see i want him to go full rage monster it just like like flip the table like fuck this game i hate it and then come back 20 minutes later because i think that'd be a really fun time and you could show people that game is difficult
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: yeah and
Leon Lionheartly: a
Leon Lionheartly: youre
neocharge: It'd be entertaining for sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: You're right. Not to derail us too much, Caleb, but you got me going. and um That exactly what you're describing is why I prefer Bloodborne over all of them. Because Sekiro is, it's difficult.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: But you got to get the timing. And Bloodborne, it's like, who cares? Parry this, these fucking casuals, you hit them with a blunderbuss.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, Bloodborne is really, really good too. I just, I do think Sekiro is my favorite because also the Japanese, so I mean, that's, come on. I need that in my life.
Leon Lionheartly: That's funny.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Oh, yeah. Bloodborne was awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: self
neocharge: I almost platinumed that, but I just couldn't do the multiple endings. I want to get back to it soon. So, yeah, Sekiro, man. it just You can't power level, and it's just such precise timing.
neocharge: And then they in they incorporated that new mechanic with the the circle where you step on the spear or whatever, and I just couldn't get that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: you
neocharge: I couldn't get it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's hard.
neocharge: i've looked I tried for like an hour and I would just i raged out and i ah stuff I don't own the game anymore because I got so mad that I ejected the disc and I fucking broke it.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): For you listeners at home, he sent me a photo because I was asking, i like hey, how are you doing in Sekiro?
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I knew he was having a rough time with one of the things. and I'm not making fun of you, I promise, but it was earlier than I expected. there's this There's one part where I expected him to
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): have troubles because it's kind of a bitch for everybody who plays. I think it was bullshit. um So I assumed that's what he was talking about. And then he sent me a photo of where he was in the game. And I actually felt bad because I was like, I don't know what to say.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): didn't know how to help for that.
neocharge: God damn it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But a couple days later, I texted him like, hey, how's it going, buddy?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he just texted me back a picture of this broken disc.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he's like, fuck this game.
Leon Lionheartly: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, you know, all right. maybe Maybe you come back to it later. But yeah, it's hard, man.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i i'm I'm there with you. and i've been I got ragey when I was trying to platinum Devil May Cry 5. I felt like I was 12 years old again, and I wish I had a cable to rip out my out of my controller. But they're wireless now, so I couldn't.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was trying not to throw things, because that was also very hard. but So don't don't feel embarrassed.
neocharge: here
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Play Sekiro for people. That'll be fun. i I would love to watch that. That'd be great.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: I think so, too. We'll definitely get a around to it.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: too it
Leon Lionheartly: Everybody loves a good Rage album, man.
neocharge: So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah,
neocharge: Oh yeah, it's it's definitely entertaining. ah But speaking of being 12 years old, the 16-bit era is why we're here for the main topic.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): let's get into it, yeah?
neocharge: It's episode 16. We're going to go through our top five 16-bit games of all time. 16-bit being the SNES, the Sega Genesis, the Game Boy Advance, basically the golden era of video games. Honestly, there are so many and to narrow down to five is pretty tough ah and we're going to go into our top five 16-bit games tonight.
neocharge: We brought Caleb on here because he did the 8-bit. You'll probably be on there for the 32-bit as well because I mean that's getting into PlayStation, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hell yeah.
neocharge: So um we wanted to bring you on, not only because we love you and we like talking video games and drinking beer with you, but you were on the 8-bit and we wanted you on the 16-bit too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh yeah.
neocharge: So happy to have you here to round out the trifecta of gamers talking about 16-bit video games and very nostalgic era for us.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Awesome.
neocharge: but we were We were kind of like teenagers in this era, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I would have been between...
neocharge: So,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, actually, when the Super Nintendo came out was what, 1990? I think in in America ah or 91, maybe so somewhere around there.
Leon Lionheartly: on
neocharge: yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: thank one
neocharge: i we Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I, ah so I would have been six, yeah six years old, five, six years old.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I didn't get one right away, but yeah, I was, I was that age. And then just everything that came after it. I mean, the Game Boy Advance, sure. i was like, I was teenager, 15.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What, well, what do you remember when the Game Boy Advance came out?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was it 2000?
neocharge: Oh, man. No.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm looking at it now, and that's yeah and that's the only reason why I'm scratching my head.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah. look them
Leon Lionheartly: Because it came out in 2001.
neocharge: I think it was
Leon Lionheartly: Alright.
neocharge: 2001?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): 2001, 2001. Sure. two thousand one sure I was 16.
neocharge: Okay. game, though.
Leon Lionheartly: So I will give it this caveat to you guys.
neocharge: <unk> the
Leon Lionheartly: um We're going to go with it. This is why I didn't have any Game Boy Advance games, otherwise I have a slew of them. Because the GBA...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Are you going to say, yes, go Go ahead.
Leon Lionheartly: The GBA
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): know what you're going to say.
Leon Lionheartly: gba' is 32-bit system.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's a 32 bit system that played 16 bit games in, in yes,
Leon Lionheartly: Seeing big names. Yes.
neocharge: it's a sixteen big game though
Leon Lionheartly: Did we just become best friends?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but But the thing is, there were a few, because, well, actually, maybe, I don't know who would be more the expert about it, Bob or Matt, but um you're the retro gaming en encyclopedia, so going to look at you, Bob.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): for
neocharge: That's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Can you maybe explain, I mean, a lot of people who are here listening obviously know enough about video games or interested in it. Can you explain, in layman's terms, the difference between 4, 8, 16, 32-bit,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because I think that that's very important to establish.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know we touched on a little bit in the 8-bit episode, but it's hard to compare, especially with games nowadays like Mina the Hollower.
neocharge: That's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mina the Hollower is not an 8-bit game. It is an 8-bit game, but the color palette, there's more colors than an 8-bit.
neocharge: Right, in style.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So anyway, if you could explain to people, that would be helpful, I think.
Leon Lionheartly: and Yeah, no, no. You know what? That's a really good point, Caleb. um So I'm going to give you a very, very, very, very basic interpretation of this.
neocharge: That is.
Leon Lionheartly: um This is going to be the, if you're the guy that goes, well, actually in the back of the classroom, we're not doing college ah collegiate level. This is like elementary school. We're explaining.
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: So you leave out some just certain details and whatever. Okay. um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: But in the in the the world of computers, everything is binary. Sorry, folks. um Even 2025 computers are binary. ah Onesies and zeros. so They're all bits. A one and a zero is a bit.
Leon Lionheartly: when we were still develop When we as a species were still developing the microchips and the processors, everything came across and you could only handle so many bits of data at once or the number of what they would call channels. Think of them, and the best way I describe this is think of them as highways lanes on a highway.
Leon Lionheartly: was the best way to describe that. The more lanes you have, the more cars you can get through. The more bits you have, the more information that can be traveled across those. um
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: And that's naturally when we went from, and because everything in binary goes by a power of two, you go from one to two to four to eight when we hit the yeah ah the n NES era and a couple other consoles that nobody really talks about anymore.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. yeah
Leon Lionheartly: And that's why we went from 8 to 16 instead of 8 to like 10 or 12 or something like that because you're multiplying by 2. So went from 8
Leon Lionheartly: plus eight or eight times two to 16.
neocharge: he
Leon Lionheartly: And that's where we're at the 16-bit era. um At least from raw processing power, that's why they call it that. um There's more to it when you talk about the spectrum of colors and then like the music chips ah or the audio chips that were included back in the day when boards had audio chips.
Leon Lionheartly: um that did That information and data was important. um I know I sound like an old man on a hill, but trust me, this stuff is super important ah to understand when you're talking about the generationals of games because now we're on GPU 50,000, 20, over 9,000 RTX with, like I don't know, yeah it's ridiculous.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's ridiculous.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's all it is.
Leon Lionheartly: So we've exponentially grown, um but that's where we're at. We're in the 16-bit era. The 16-bit is stylized now. But that's where that term comes from. um Now when we're talking about 16-bit era, we talk about things like...
Leon Lionheartly: um I'm going to give you an example because you said it earlier. Sea of Stars on the PlayStation 5 is not...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: Which is technically 32-bit. Well, I mean, it's...
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, right.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
neocharge: Because...
Leon Lionheartly: But it's stylized as a 16-bit game of this era.
neocharge: So... Right.
Leon Lionheartly: um And it's heavily inspired by maybe one of the games on my list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It's inspired by 85 games on my list.
neocharge: Maybe one of the games on my list.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): One thing for the listeners that it's it's not foolproof, it's not perfect, but one of the things that I learned a long time ago with my love of video games, with the evolution from 8, 16, 32, and so on, the color gamut is actually one of the biggest hints.
neocharge: Right. remember all you
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, I mean, think about the Blue Bomber. Everybody knows Mega Man. Even if you don't like Mega Man, you've heard Mega Man. You can recognize the color of Mega Man. You can recognize that the entire blue body of him is not the same blue.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There's a little bit darker in his helmet, a little bit lighter around his shoulders and arms because he didn't have the Mega Man X suit that most people would know maybe nowadays. But when he evolved into, i believe Mega Man 7, I think was the first one that was 16-bit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think that was on the Super Nintendo version.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, know it was on Super Nintendo, but I think that was the first one that was 16-bit. And the color palette just, I mean, it basically doubled. You could you could get such more much more of a range than you could on the n NES.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that's not just Mega Man, that's for other games. So what they're talking about with Sea of Stars being 32-bit, the color palette that they have with Sea of Stars is more than an OG 16-bit game could have handled.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Now, there's more to it than that. As Bob said, there's way more to it than that. But for me, that's kind of my visual hint when I'm trying to figure out what a game is. I can get pretty close when I when I pay attention to how many colors they can they can go through on screen.
Leon Lionheartly: Ooh, you mentioned this, Caleb. but And you know what's a really good game for the listeners that may have not played it that can tell you the difference? Because it switches dynamically between eight...
neocharge: semester
Leon Lionheartly: Yep, it's the messenger.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah yeah Yep, yep. I was assuming that was on our list, but I didn't know because it switches.
neocharge: yep right
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i didn't know if that counted. I have
Leon Lionheartly: it's so You know, maybe we should have redefined these rules little bit better because i may have a top 10 and not a top 5.
neocharge: Yeah. ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): top 30. I couldn't narrow it down. I have 30.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So you guys, I figured, could go first, and then I could just clean up after that.
neocharge: We'll have a ton of...
neocharge: Yeah, we'll have ah we'll have a ton of ah honorable mentions. And I mean, most importantly, there's more pixels on screen, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: You can put more pixels on screen, more processing power, more memory available to the CPU with 16-bit. ah So yeah, the more pixels on screen, the more defined the image can get. And this was the last generation of pixel art.
neocharge: After 16-bit, we went to 32-bit, which kind of went to polygons and 3D models. So I love pixel art. I think pixel art is incredible. I love the art style of it. And this was kind of the golden era of pixel art.
neocharge: So these are most that all of them are or pixel art games. And Yeah, the 16-bit basically doubled what 8-bit could do. You had better sound. You had more pixels on screen.
neocharge: You had more computing power. ah You had more memory. And you basically just had like better, more technically advanced games. So just more complex operations that ah your bitrate can do.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: So... Yeah. ah What do you say we we get into it? Because, I mean, who who wants to go first?
Leon Lionheartly: I mean...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to let Bob go first because I've got 30, seriously, and i I don't want to steal one of his since I've got 30.
Leon Lionheartly: did you ah
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like I have an actual list of 30 that I was like, these are all worth mentioning. They're not necessarily my favorite, but so I think Bob should go first.
neocharge: we can We can go quickly through them all if you want. we can just talk about them and and say why we love it.
Leon Lionheartly: i mean
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: You know?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: and your In your defense, Caleb, I could probably do 30 if I really sat down and think a thought about it.
neocharge: Oh, me too.
Leon Lionheartly: um But this was a, I know 10 that I'll absolutely make the list and then kind of just ordered them from there. Right. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I narrowed it down from 50. So yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah, it was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: you
Leon Lionheartly: um So for my list, ah this is a, I want to give the little bit of background before I give the first one, okay? The 8-bit era, I was really into, had an n NES. I had it SNES, but the 16-bit era is kind of a choppy point in my life.
Leon Lionheartly: um There was a couple of periods I don't want to say gaps, but really gaps where I wasn't playing games um the way I am today or even before that. okay But because of that, and this is going to give you a little bit of spoilers, 16-bit is where i really, really cut my teeth on the RPG or turn-based strategy games and things of that nature.
Leon Lionheartly: um So just keep that in mind. um most ah I had a Sega before anybody says, well, what about XYZ? I had a Sega. I'm not a thought Sega guy.
Leon Lionheartly: I don't have the type of autism for Sonic. um it's not I'm not trying to talk talk bad, okay? That's a joke, obviously, but it just never spoke to me. So if you see that and you see that there's not a TurboGrafx-16 or a Sega Genesis or something of that nature, um keep that in mind.
Leon Lionheartly: If there's a modern game that I'm missing here, it's probably because it was inspired by something, quite frankly, that that that is on the list, okay? um But without further ado, number 10 is a 16-bit game that introduced polygons to us all.
Leon Lionheartly: um Caleb probably already knows what I'm talking about. and
neocharge: Can I take guess?
Leon Lionheartly: Go ahead.
neocharge: Star Fox?
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, sir.
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, using the Super...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good guess.
Leon Lionheartly: using a Good guess, using the Super FX chip. ah This was by Nintendo EAD, previously known as RND4, I believe. Don't quote me on that, but I think so.
Leon Lionheartly: um And used the Super FX chip, which was a special gra GPU um on the board of the SNES cartridge to allow for 3D polygons in the 16-bit era.
Leon Lionheartly: ah The reason it's so low on my list, though, is it was It did really well and it looked amazing, but it didn't perform very well. And quite frankly, its predecessor or it's the one that comes later blew it out of the water.
Leon Lionheartly: um But I remember playing this game um and just being blown away by going, wait,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: this is possible. like This is what the future could potentially hold, and that's ah ended ah ultimately what the future did end up becoming. um So Star Fox ah for the win, even if it was a........................ beberterber airreda
neocharge: Nice.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Poor Pepe.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. Do a barrel roll.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: Yeah, but that was that came in 64 because they could do the voice clips, which is why it was 32 bit. So you had more sound depth.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Come on, Fox.
neocharge: Pretty smooth flying, Fox.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah you go
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I love Star Fox 64.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know this is a 16-bit cast, but 64 was just so fun.
neocharge: Yeah, it's great.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, it was.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, yes, somebody else who gets it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah.
neocharge: Beautiful. We need we need a Star Fox on ah Switch 2 with the mouse controls. Let's go.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We need a Star Fox 256, I think. that's That's the next one, right?
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): 16, 64. Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): words
neocharge: Yeah, technically. yeah ah Caleb, you want do you want me to go? I can go.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, so I i will say, and Bob gave a little bit of information about his list.
neocharge: example
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I ended up picking, I just put things in ah order of release year.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't do top to bottom because my i could I could rapid fire my top five
neocharge: Okay. Oh. thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): no problem on this era. I love the Super Nintendo and Sega era.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I did release order.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And I tried cause sometimes this was still when we weren't getting global launches, you know, you'd have Japan would get it one year and we might have to wait a year and a half. So if my years or my dates were a little off, I apologize.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going off of when I got it. And then also I would look on maybe what a Wikipedia would say if I wasn't sure. yeah, those didn't always match because there were there were stores that they broke street date all the time and it wasn't a problem then.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I wouldn't have known when I was seven, eight, nine, 10 years old, what street date was. Cause I was just excited about this game that I would see at the store.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, ah but I also decided part of the reason I have such a huge list, I feel like I know at least five on each of yours and I've tried to avoid them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I have some of them on there, but I'm going to intentionally not, I'm going to try my best to not steal anything from you guys. So I am going to pick, ah we'll see. We'll see if you guys are are ah cool about this.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The Sega Genesis, I believe it released in 1991. was a little, sweet, weird-as-hell gem of a game called ToeJam & Earl.
Leon Lionheartly: I knew it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you guys ever...
Leon Lionheartly: I knew it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Is that on your list? Is it on...
Leon Lionheartly: No, but it was will almost made my top 10.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Okay. So ToeJam & Earl, for people that don't know, you're two aliens that are hip-hop, funky. i think they're supposed to be teenagers, and they crash on Earth, and they have to rebuild their spaceship to try to go home.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It's a cool idea, and when you're playing the game, it's just... kind of, it's just a chill, funky, weird ass time because there's like a fat alien and a skinny alien.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they're both by today's standards, they're probably racist as hell or, or yeah, it's, it's tough to say because one had like a backwards hat on and a big old gold necklace.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And, and the other one just had these like swimming shorts and it just, but it was a really fun game that had cool music and just like, It was weird. I played it with my cousins all the time and it was hard.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i I don't think we ever beat it when we played co-op. I know i I beat it by myself later when I was like, I need to know what this game is like. And you would you would get presents that would have random shit in it for you to use. And it was randomized every time you played the game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So you could get these rocket booster skates, or I think they were rocket skates that would make you go really fast. But the first time you open that present, You didn't know that's what it was. So you would just take off off the side of the stage and fall to a lower level. And it was just it was just weird.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But honorable mention, I love ToeJam & Earl. It's definitely not in my top 10, but it's a game that I didn't think either one of you guys would talk about. And the music was cool. It had a cool color palette. It was very late 80s, early 90s, and it showed.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah So that's that's one that I thought needed to be talked about.
Leon Lionheartly: ah I'm so glad you mentioned it because it didn't make the cut. um so thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you ever play it, Matt?
neocharge: That's a good one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you ever play ToeJam & Earl?
neocharge: Yeah, of course.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, okay. couldn't remember if you...
neocharge: Yeah, Sega Genesis.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it's great.
neocharge: Yeah. 2D side-scroller platformer, for sure. Yeah. ah I guess we're going top 10. I can dig deep into some modern stuff um and a game I recently played. Well, not recently, but a few years ago. I'm one of the 200 people that hold the platinum on it.
neocharge: One of 200 in the world. And it's a Zelda-inspired game from Heart Machine. They did Solar Ash. They did a spinoff game that is a four-player co-op.
neocharge: ah That's Hyper Light Drifter. and Light Drifter is amazing. It's an amazing game. um There are two trophies in there that all are almost impossible that I just zend out just like the lightning strikes in Final Fantasy ten or the jump rope in Final Fantasy IX.
neocharge: You have to like dash around this whole room and you have to just precisely hit the X-File probably 400 times.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I guess. ah
neocharge: a It's called the Dash Eternal and I think it's like a.01%. So yeah. One of 200 platinum holders. What can I say about this game? It's very hard, very fun, um very Zelda-inspired, and one of my favorite Zelda clones. So, yeah, Hyper Light Drifter. I actually own the physical copy, which is very rare and limited.
neocharge: So, did you guys ever play Hyper Light Drifter?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I actually never did.
Leon Lionheartly: I mean,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But I need you to know that on this on my list, so after I have about the 30, I have two, i have an honorable mentions category.
neocharge: Oh...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then at the bottom, I specifically was trying not to do anything on a new console that wasn't officially 16-bit. But I have, number one, I have, do these count?
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hyper Light Drifter for Matt. He needs to talk about this. So I just need, I'm looking at it as So I'm glad that that was the first one you busted out.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But did did you ever play it Bob?
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I know, but I know of the game. ah Wait. No, this isn't the one that came with the PS4, is it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, that was...
neocharge: It was PS4 game, yes. Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Resogun is what you're probably thinking of.
neocharge: yes
Leon Lionheartly: That's Resogun. Okay, all right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, i've I've heard of it, but I haven't played it.
neocharge: oh yeah
Leon Lionheartly: um I've heard it's incredibly difficult.
neocharge: It is. It's incredibly difficult. Uh, awesome story. Amazing pixel art, just super fun. Zelda clone. That's a cyberpunk. And got this little, instead of a fairy and Zelda, you have like a little cyborg.
neocharge: I don't know. It's like a little square cause it's a pixel, honestly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Uh, and there's some cool lore behind that. And you're in a fallen world. ah And it's Heart Machine. Heart Machine did Solar Ash, and they kind of go into the lore in Hyper Light Breaker, um which I think either came out or is coming out.
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
neocharge: But yeah, just a really cool little cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic, ah isometric character.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: pixel art game and you have like this light sword it's like so it's really cool really cool game I love it and it's cherished because yeah that platinum is fucking hard and it's probably one of my yeah most so I don't know ah platinum I'm pretty proud of because it's one of 200 it's crazy yeah yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah You should be, man. that's That game is... I mean, I've seen gameplay of it, so I know what you're talking about. And when you were playing it, I know you were messaging me and telling me, like, dude, this game's awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You got to try it out. i know I remember at the time you were raving about the the score, the music.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You really liked the music of it.
neocharge: Yes. Oh, dude, the music.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You said it was great. But yeah, you you should be proud of that because that that game, it was one of those that I thought, someday, someday I'll get to it, and I just haven't, you know?
neocharge: Music's also incredible.
neocharge: Right. Right. Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But
neocharge: Yeah. But yeah, that's kind of like taking it back to the modern era. There's a lot of modern callback games nowadays that mimic the 16-bit games of of old.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): right
neocharge: So that's definitely one of them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: That's awesome, man. i like I got to get around to playing that at some point. Knowing well what I'm getting into.
neocharge: Oh yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: oh I guess it's me then. ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. What do you got at number nine?
neocharge: Sure is.
Leon Lionheartly: So, gentlemen, I'm about to give you one of the very few sports titles that I absolutely enjoy.
Leon Lionheartly: And I'll give you a hint. He's on fire.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
neocharge: Nice.
Leon Lionheartly: and That's going to be NBA Jam. ah What can I say about this game? ah I'm not a basketball player. i don't I'm not necessarily interested it in the sport, but that every now and then there's a video game that comes along that gets my attention.
Leon Lionheartly: um Later on, it was NBA Street, I want to say. ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That sounds right.
Leon Lionheartly: But NBA Jam was the first one where instead of being super serious, it's
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: all about just doing ah the most unhinged, crazy dunks in the world while getting power-ups that literally put the hoop on fire.
Leon Lionheartly: um You can put input codes to play as Bill Clinton ah because they thought that was too funny.
neocharge: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
Leon Lionheartly: yeah um yeah where can i this I played this game so much. So much and i love everything about it. um You know what I learned, Caleb? ah Because I know you're going to ask me about some random trivia stuff.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What's that?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to.
Leon Lionheartly: So... so One of the developers had a hatred for a very specific team because of a rivalry.
Leon Lionheartly: So if you play as a certain New York team, or if you're playing against a suite your certain New York team, and they make a last second shot, so where it's in the air and the buzzer goes, the game is coded to have a 0% chance for that shot to exist.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Make it in.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I never knew that. That's awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: It's not enough as a, like, oh my god, this is unbalanced. But it was a programmer who just said it, fuck the Knicks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's wonderful.
Leon Lionheartly: ah ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I well do have to ask you, what was your team when you played? you Or did you just play everybody?
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, I always played as the Bulls because you play as the did the GOAT.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i mean let's be Well, that and the Hornets.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was Charlotte Hornets.
Leon Lionheartly: I played as the Hornets.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was Charlotte Hornets.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just being Muggsy Bogues being this big and this is so Alonzo morning.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): right Like, yeah yeah, that was.
Leon Lionheartly: He was like the Bo Nix of NBA GMA.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Loved it. Did you ever play your play NBA Jam, Matt?
Leon Lionheartly: Or Bo Jackson. and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm sure you've at least played it, right?
neocharge: Oh, yeah. I've played it.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: ah Who was I?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: I forget who I played. I think I played as the Bulls, I believe. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, that was the correct answer.
neocharge: So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, the Bulls were who you played as if you wanted to win.
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So... that's small
neocharge: Yeah. It was just a fun arcade basketball game. So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah And Bob, you you mentioned it, you put it very eloquently, they didn't take themselves too seriously.
neocharge: Really good one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And to me, that's why it was such an enjoyable game, because it's really simple. You can't really do that much in the game, but it was just fun to do over and over and over again. ah Yeah, and good good selection.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): NBA Jam was awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Kind of like NFL Blitz. Remember what NFL Blitz did with NFL on the 64? Just didn't take the sport seriously and just was like, yeah, we're just going to bulldoze people and just have the crazy,
neocharge: ah yeah i don't know, like crazy looking players. And yeah, it's really cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but when you have a When you have a linebacker that like picks up somebody, runs them back five yards to 10 yards, and then suplexes them, it's just like, yes, i that's the football game I want to play.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Right. Yeah. Proportions.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay, so...
neocharge: Proportions is the word I was looking for.
Leon Lionheartly: So, I gotta say this. These are Just think Because we're on the subject of sports games, and I know the odds of some of us else having a sports game is slim to none. um A couple of different games, that if you're curious...
Leon Lionheartly: I'm telling you, if you want a sports game out of the 16-bit area that doesn't take itself too seriously, Mutant League football.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, Mutant League football was awesome. That was awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Also, this is another stupid one that I've played way too much. Deion Sanders, Primetime Football.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, I never played that. Never.
Leon Lionheartly: that that's that's yeah that's the one where you can play.
neocharge: Too much sports.
Leon Lionheartly: It's great. So that one is so stupid, but it's fun because you could be a defense against your buddy, but you can run around with the one defender that can move and you could talk shit while they're waiting to do their huddle.
Leon Lionheartly: So he'll just be like, did your player just stands up in the 16 bit voice and goes, this is my house. And it makes no sense because fuck it.
neocharge: Awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: Why not? But yeah, it's,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, quick honorable mention on the sports thing, Tecmo Super Bowl. That was actually one I got to play with my friends a lot.
neocharge: Oh, yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I'd make my myself a character because that was I think that was the first one that you could make a character.
neocharge: yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they had stats. And as they played in the seasons, you could make them even better. And I remember just because I was ah kid, I named mine Brad Owner.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): O-N-E-R, so that he would just show up as Boner and he'd be running around on screen as Boner. And you the few times that like my parents or my my grandmother would come in and be like, what is this?
neocharge: It's amazing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'd be like, it's my guy. His name's Brad Owner. And they would just, okay. They thought that I just didn't realize because I was between seven and 10. And I was like, nah, definitely did that on purpose. But that was honorable mention.
neocharge: It's amazing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's not on my list or anything. Just Tecmo Super Bowl was another good fun sports game because they were just fun. They just, I don't know. They were quick.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You didn't have to memorize 7,000 fucking things to play them. Now. I mean, for people that enjoy that great, but nah, just go be a real quarterback.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You'd probably have better luck doing it less to remember.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I like the arcade-y shit. So, good one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Especially in a video game but for me.
neocharge: Good pick. Exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, all right, I guess that brings it to me. i will do, ah Another, maybe a lesser known that I think needs to be talked about ah while I'm on the Sega.
Leon Lionheartly: I
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'll i'll stay with the Sega. This might be on your list and I'm sorry if it is, but it was technically an arcade game first, then it released on the Sega Genesis.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that was the Golden Axe series. Golden Axe 2 is my favorite of the series. I personally think that was better. it was just, it was a refined game, but I played this so much at a roller rink near my house when I was growing up. They had, well i I don't know how much money I spent on that fucking thing, but I got to ask Bob, cause you seem like a Golden Axe fan.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Were were you the dwarf? who Who was your...
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that okay. Because my main was the the lady. the The red.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): She'd like summon the dragon.
Leon Lionheartly: but
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Dragon. Yeah, yeah, yep ah yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I was a dwarf. ah a Golden Axe.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah You seem like an axe man. That's why I figured...
neocharge: you It's the beard.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, it is. it is the be We have the beard.
neocharge: Not the beard!
Leon Lionheartly: Not the beard! Golden Axe on the OG Xbox is my favorite. just ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah But yes, as soon as you said arcade and came to console, I knew exactly what you were talking about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. And that that one definitely would be in in the up there for me. So I thought I would steal one. I didn't know if it'd be on either of your lists, but Golden Axe 2 was like an icon, or Golden Axe in general, was iconic for its time. There wasn't a place you could go where somebody didn't know, oh, I've seen that game, or I played that game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Plus it had a really fun co-op. The only bad part of it was that you couldn't do a three-player on the Sega game. At least I don't think you could when they made it but like later.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't think so. but So you have three main characters, and it was like, why don't we have three? Why can't all three of us be playing at the same time? That was that was the dream. but Now we can. But anyway.
Leon Lionheartly: Now we can, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so All right, Matt, you're up.
neocharge: you
neocharge: Good one, good one. i'm so I'm sticking a little modern. I'm sticking with the the modern stuff. Maybe like yeah start with modern and then go to old school. But this game was truly 16-bit because it was made by one guy.
neocharge: One guy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: And it is inspired heavily by one of my favorite IPs of all time, which is Metroid. And this game I'm talking about is called Axiom Verge.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm so glad.
neocharge: Did you play it
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it's yes, but it's funny. The hyper light drifter that I said, that like I was, I wrote myself a note for you to, I wrote axiom verge right under that.
neocharge: it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was like, we got to talk about this. this is So it's, it's awesome.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm so glad.
neocharge: That's incredible. You know me so well. Axiom Verge, what can I say? It's a Metroid-inspired Metroidvania that one guy made, and he nailed it. Thomas Happ from Thomas Happ Games made it.
neocharge: It came out in 2015, it's, yeah, it's an awesome game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That sounds right, yeah.
neocharge: its yeah it's and awesome Metroidvania. ah And you're that you play as a guy this time, a scientist.
neocharge: And it's ah it's very inspired by Super mero and any all the Metroid Metroidvanias of old. So ah it's a very challenging game.
neocharge: and you can choose your difficulties. Uh, it's an interconnected map. You get some really crazy weapons. Uh, but the, the hook in this game is you can glitch out certain aspects of the, the levels.
neocharge: So you, yeah you, you get a glitch gun at one point and you can glitch out the levels to where you like break the game and you go outside the game and then go back in the game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but
neocharge: ah at a certain point in the map. So incredible pixel art, really cool music and made by one guy, which is super impressive.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I didn't know that. Thank you for telling me that.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't know it was made by just one dude. that's That's pretty cool. That's very cool.
neocharge: yeah thomas hap so it's uh it's an awesome game um and yeah the the lead character is called trace and he's the main protagonist and he's a scientist that gets uh basically he's trying to understand the environment he's in and he's a scientist from earth and i don't
Leon Lionheartly: you
neocharge: want to go into it a lot, but you get a lot of really cool weapons. There's a a lot of varied enemy types, and it's gorgeous pixel art. So highly recommended. You get it on PS4. It's super cheap.
neocharge: A really cool soundtrack. with on the On the home screen, actually, I i test my bass because it's so uncompressed that it's... or I'm sorry, so compressed that it really it's like the basiest intro in a video game.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: And it it it makes my sub slam. So I sometimes use that ah title screen to calibrate my my home theater, actually, which is weird.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not bad. So two very quick questions, one for each of you.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): One, did you play Axiom Verge 2?
neocharge: I have not.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because i me either. And I was curious if it was any good.
neocharge: I have not played it. Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm sure it's great. But the other question is, Bob, did you ever play Axiom Verge 1? What he's talking about. Did you ever play it?
Leon Lionheartly: So no, but looking at the screenshots, i'm mean I'm excited or I'm interested and intrigued is the best way to put that. um Simply because not the Metroidvania part, but some of the aesthetics out of the screenshots I saw remind me of another game that's actually on my list.
neocharge: It should be.
neocharge: so
Leon Lionheartly: And we'll get to that later.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, okay.
neocharge: Oh, I bet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, then I'll hold my ah discussion about it until that game comes up because I'm curious to know what it is.
neocharge: yes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah, Axiom Verge is a great, great choice, Matt.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: I think I know what it is. I'm not going to say it, though.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's gut's good.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So you're up next, Bob.
neocharge: Yeah, it's it's awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think you're, what what are we at? Eight or seven?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, I'm at 8 right now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Eight? Yeah.
neocharge: Thank you.
Leon Lionheartly: That's where I'm at. So wherever you guys are. ah So this game, I am taking a long shot and hoping that we see something for it on its 25th anniversary next year.
Leon Lionheartly: um This came out in 2001. People are going to say, Bob, you changed your list after talking about the Game Boy Advance being a 32-bit system.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
Leon Lionheartly: But I will say, this game was on my list for But you gentlemen convinced me because this is a 16-bit game through and through. through um It had two parts to it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: I absolutely love them. And it was also the first RPG that I played where you could do true PvP. And that's Camelot's Golden
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Golden Sun was so good.
neocharge: Mmm. Dude.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's a great choice.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm so glad that you brought that up.
neocharge: Incredible.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't, I put it lower for that reason. Cause I was like, if it's not you, it's going to be Matt.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but Like one of you guys.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if you guys don't talk about it, I'm going to rave about it at the end of the cast.
neocharge: It was definitely on my list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
neocharge: Yep. 16-bit game on a 32-bit system.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, man. Yeah, take it away, Bob. Golden Sun was... I fucking loved it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, I'm so glad you loved it. ah There's so much about these games that I can tell you.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um But you are, so the the high level is, um it's an RPG where you're a party of four. You can name your characters. The difference is, kind of like, there's a little bit of splash of wild arms where each character can do certain actions in the overworld.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. and then no those actions can influence the environment around you, right? ah The big catch in these games is you are, there's a little bit of Pokemon aspect where you're catching Jinn, D-J-I-N-N spelling.
neocharge: e
Leon Lionheartly: Um... of little monsters, and you use those, and you equip them, almost like a junctioning system in Final Fantasy VIII, and you equip them to your characters, and that increases your stat power, and then the number that you have, not only that, there's elements that are associated, so you can mix elemental djinn together, and this allows you to truly, truly customize your party um in a way that just quite that that I hadn't seen in a long time or ever at that point.
neocharge: Thank you.
Leon Lionheartly: um This dis game, i played it with PvP ah with the link cable. Did you guys do that?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I tried it like twice and I didn't really have any other friends at the time that cared about games like that. So they would just placate me. i mean, i had one, one kid that went to school with me and he was not good at it and it wasn't, I'm not making fun of him.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He just, I don't think he liked it that much.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I didn't get into it like you did, but I always wanted to. I, that game was dope. That's all I could say about It's just so good. It's,
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Yeah, it's good.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i' So you played it too then, Matt. Did you play PvP?
neocharge: Oh, yeah. um Not really. Just like Caleb, I didn't have a lot of people that were playing those types of games. It was so niche at the time, i'd say. It was, Camelot Games published by... Wasn't it Nintendo?
neocharge: Like, Nintendo had...
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, sir.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So it's ah kind of like flew under a lot of people's radars, but I was intrigued by it, picked it up and loved it. Dude, the summons were straight out of, you know, Final Fantasy, all big ah cinematics at the time.
neocharge: and Like, and it was like, pixel art cinematics, which was awesome. ah And depending on how much how many Jin you had ah slotted in your loadout is that you could use like better and better summons and like those those late game summons were incredible. So...
neocharge: Yeah, very heavily inspired by some of the great RPGs that are going to be on our list. I love the shit out of Golden Sun. i like 2. and never played Dark Dawn. I Need 2. That was on the DS.
neocharge: And yeah, 2 followed Felix. And was ah it's a went straight from one to two and they're kind of like one big game.
neocharge: Uh, so yeah, I'm so glad you said golden son. It's, it's a really, really good game.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm
neocharge: And I played the shit out of it when I was, when I was little, I would love to see the, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And i I do agree with you. i think 25 years in an anniversary, like, come on, give us, bring it, bring it out.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): to Come back, please.
Leon Lionheartly: Please, please, please, please.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: That's all I ask. ah I will. All right. So I got a fun fact for you ah there. ah Well, you you know what? This is more for the crowd. Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Not for you guys.
neocharge: okay
Leon Lionheartly: um so in the very first game So in the very first game, did you know you can actually, ah you know what I'm talking about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Fine. I won't pay attention. Yeah.
neocharge: me
Leon Lionheartly: There's a decision to be made. You know, you can repeatedly say no.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay. All right.
neocharge: it
Leon Lionheartly: Not a lot of people knew that. um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah Yeah. I mean, I, I didn't know if there was like, if you do it 150 times, then somebody reaches out of the game boy advance and punches you in the face. Like I didn't know where that was going. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: No, but there... Oh, I'll tell i'll give you one, ah Caleb. So there is a way in the first Golden Sun, and this is going to sound really obscure for anybody who's never played them, right?
Leon Lionheartly: to where you can custom name the second characters, the second party.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Really?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't think I knew that. Or if I did, it's like a piece of information that I just did not retain.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: I didn't know that.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. it
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): gets But no I don't think I knew that.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's kind of cool.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah, you could do... So there's a way... Because you can name your main party.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Well, that means if you know what you're doing and you select... I i don't remember. It's really obscure, but you select certain menu options.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: You can rename the other party, which means when you do the password system later...
Leon Lionheartly: They end up as, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Huh.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. I like that.
neocharge: Very cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's neat.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Big fan.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: But Golden Sun, number eight. There's a reason it's on my list. Caleb, take it away, man.
neocharge: Love it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes. All right. Here's one that I would, I would be very surprised if it was on either of your lists, even though I think it was ahead of its time. And again, I, I actually, I did prefer the Sega, the Super Nintendo over the Sega, uh, at that era, but I had them both eventually.
neocharge: one
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um I'm picking a lot of Sega games because I do think the SNES had more and better overall.
neocharge: one
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, the Super Nintendo is, other than the PlayStation 2, probably the greatest system that's ever existed. i would You can make a solid argument for that.
neocharge: One of them for
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But so I'm going to pick some sega Sega games because I think it's a little little less of a chance that it'll be on your list. So I have... ah So the original was released in 1993, but the sequel that I think was so much better was released in 1995.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Kid, I guess. X-Men.
neocharge: sure.
Leon Lionheartly: X-Men.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. X-Men 2 The Clone Wars. Yes. i Yes, absolutely. So I was a huge fan of the original X-Men game.
neocharge: There.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, I love the original X-Men anyway. I love all things X-Men. um The original game was that really difficult because it was kind of jank. You could only play as, I think it was four characters, and then you could get assists from four other X-Men.
neocharge: <unk>
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if an assist didn't work how you thought it was supposed to work, you could end up being stuck in a level and just not be able to proceed.
neocharge: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's the kind of jank I'm talking about. So that was a bit of a bummer. you could get With Nightcrawler, you could teleport. And if you teleported it into a place that you weren't supposed to be in, you couldn't teleport out because he could only do it one time.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, or or it was, it was just, it was kind of shit.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. yeah
neocharge: so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But, um but X-Men two, the clone wars, I think it was just X-Men two clone wars was, they just refined so much and you could play as other people. You could be, i think they added beast.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if memory serves Psylocke, and I think even Magneto became a playable character after you got for far enough into the game, but it was side-scrolling.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't want to say a beat-em-up, but kind of a beat-em-up. It was, it was its own thing. and I don't want to say Metroid cause it was not a Metroid, but the stages were designed a little bit like, that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But you got the X-Men with some of their powers. And that was just so cool. I actually, what made me throw this on the list, Bob, was we talked before about favorite X-Men. And I know that Gambit is your guy, as he should be.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He was so much fun to play in these games. he was Because he he had his staff. He got his chance to shine, and he could charge the cards and throw them at enemies.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it was just really, really, really cool. i'm I can't believe that you guessed that based on... Was that on your list?
Leon Lionheartly: No, but I know that game so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was that on your list? Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: so well ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it was another one that was just like, we have to talk about this because it had not, it was also, it was a licensed, um you know, Marvel IP, like another IP that that they made a game for.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And those didn't often do well. There's another one that I could mention, but if it gets back to me, I'll mention that one. But that X-Men, it was a surprise because they actually did a good job with the characters and the color palette and stuff.
neocharge: You know, it
Leon Lionheartly: it's you would sad as I'm probably know what the other game you're talking about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I bet.
Leon Lionheartly: That's how much, uh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I bet you do. which is There's a reason I haven't mentioned it yet because I feel like one of you guys has to have it on there, but we'll see.
Leon Lionheartly: it it might be Matt. Um, I didn't put it on there. Uh, I can tell you that much. Uh, but I remember the circus level with like the little Jack in the boxes in the original and frustrated.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: They ever living shit out of me. Um, um,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes. Very difficult.
Leon Lionheartly: ah thank The first one made me a fan of Nightcrawler as my number two X-Men.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: um simply because of the mechanics in that game. um I still didn't quite understand what the X-Men were. I wasn't a big comic book kid growing up, but I was like, oh, this guy's really cool. And then hyperfixation fixes in. um So thank you for calling that out. um That is a really apt description. It's not a Metroidvania, but the levels are designed in a classic Metroid way. So awesome pick, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cool. All right, Matt, what you got, buddy?
neocharge: Heck yeah. Uh, yeah, I'm, I think I'm, I'm going to still stay modern. Uh, this game actually came out pretty recently and that is Teenage me Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredders Revenge.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Very good.
neocharge: Uh, But this is a 16-bit inspired on a way higher bit system, of course, right? But yeah, it's a four-player beat-em-up arcade-style Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game in the vein of the older titles. And Dotemu just nailed the old style.
neocharge: It's so fun. There's so many levels. I played co-op local. I played co-op online. And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is... my oh I loved him as a kid. I still love him. I'm super excited for the the last Ronin game we're getting.
neocharge: I'm just a big fan of the IP, and I love that style of game. Gorgeous pixel art and just a fun side-scroller beat-em-up.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: And we're getting another game soon in the vein of that style of game ah from Marvel called Cosmic Invasion. So, yeah, Marvel.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, give that to me. I drafted it.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to buy it. i I don't care if it gets a five.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm i' yeah i there. so So excited about that.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But i can I can actually take this moment to interject now that you said Teenage Ninja Turtles Shredder's Revenge.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The other game I was going to honorable mention was Turtles in Time.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): TMNT, Turtles in Time on the Super Nintendo.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So since you brought up Shredder's Revenge, yeah.
neocharge: And it's it's a spiritual successor to that. Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Did I steal it from you, Bob?
neocharge: Oh, yeah. That's a spiritual...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
Leon Lionheartly: It may have been on my list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm sorry. he said Shredder's a Red.
Leon Lionheartly: right yeah That's all right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He said a TMNT. So I was like, I'll just say it now. All right.
Leon Lionheartly: I got many others in my back pocket. You're well good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good. Good.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's a great choice, man.
neocharge: Yeah, this came out. Yep. You played it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i
neocharge: You platinumed it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): did.
neocharge: i like
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i did
neocharge: couldn't platinum it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah some of the online shit was broken as hell at launch. And so that that would hold you back from some of the platinums.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and um But I'm ah psychopath. So of course I did it. But I do have to say for people, for people who have or haven't played the game,
Leon Lionheartly: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I believe it's stage eight. I think it's called panic in the sky or something like that. That music slaps.
neocharge: soundtrack. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I don't say things like that music slaps. So that's how good it is. You have to know that is not something that ever comes out of my mouth, but I had to say it because like I could fucking load that sound, that that song up and just like cruise around the country and be happy.
Leon Lionheartly: Ha ha ha.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's very, very good. So yeah.
neocharge: Dude, awesome soundtrack. The variety of main enemies in the TMNT universe is just incredible. like They're all there. Anything you can think of, is they're pretty much all there, ah unless you get into the obscure shit.
neocharge: But yeah, just an awesome Pixar 2D side-scroller beat-em-up. It's just fun to pick up and play, too. Local co-op, if you want to just play a couple rounds. so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And the characters are unique.
neocharge: and Maybe we should...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They're unique too, which which is actually, so when I would play, ah if I was playing with other people, I would just let them pick and and pick whoever.
neocharge: Yes, very much. Yeah. Who was your main? Who was your main?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But when I did it solo the first time through, got to give it to my boy Donatello. Everybody likes Mikey, but Donatello was my guy.
neocharge: Me too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He was the smart one.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He had the bow staff. he was just, I mean, they're all great. I like all of them, but Donnie, Donnie was my favorite of the, of the four.
neocharge: Donnie's my boy.
neocharge: Donnie's always been my boy, and he was my favorite as a kid. And he's got some reach in that game that is very beneficial to the gameplay. So I did get the trophy for no hitting the end bosses, both phases.
neocharge: So that was that was tough.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, so what's the one that you still need to what's the one you're missing? Because that one was hard.
neocharge: dude the why ah going through arcade mode on hard without spending quarter. And we basically, we we got Mason and I, shout out to Mystic Mace, we got halfway and then the game fucking crashed.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's right. That was some bullshit that happened a lot.
neocharge: So, yeah, I wasn't able to get the trophy because of a crash. So, really good game. Super fun.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So, all right, Bob.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good choice.
Leon Lionheartly: Damn.
neocharge: Thank you. Thank you.
Leon Lionheartly: That's good choice. i remember that one. I didn't play it as much, but... ah Number seven, I'm going to call this one out, and I know it's cliche, but I'm going to call it out simply because if I call out the modern version or the the modern game that was inspired by it, I have a feeling it is on your list, Matt. um This was one of two games that came out on the Super Nintendo that were the love child of Nintendo and Square.
Leon Lionheartly: um We all know what my number one is, but this next one, we all know it. That's good old Bruno Trigger.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that was the first one I wrote down and I knew that was on both of your lists.
neocharge: Yeah, that was 100% on my list.
Leon Lionheartly: I thought...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I was like, okay, that's, that's covered.
Leon Lionheartly: i See, I took a gamble, Matt. I'm sorry. I took a gamble and assumed you added the one that and fire that it inspired later on.
neocharge: Ah, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: Nope.
Leon Lionheartly: okay All right. ah Well, in that case, I put... I can only take it away so much. Please go ahead, Matt.
neocharge: with The one that inspired later on is technically not 16. It's a 32. You talking Sea of Stars?
Leon Lionheartly: a I'd call it closer to 16. Yeah,
neocharge: Yeah, it has the animations, though. And it's it's built in a 32-inspired.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah.
neocharge: so But yeah, i agree.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: It does look 16. But man, yeah, it did inspire Sea Stars. And the composer came for that too. No, I won't take it away. i just did mine. you You talk all about Chrono Trigger.
Leon Lionheartly: I...
neocharge: I'm sure we all three will. Chrono Trigger is a fucking masterpiece.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Dude, I don't think I can talk about Chrono Trigger because the podcast will go for 10 hours. That's just, yeah.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: he very Yeah, is the short answer, the short one for this is if you have not played Chrono Trigger, ah do yourself a favor and go play it. I'm not going to give it at the ultimate height because I know some people who don't think it is the greatest game.
neocharge: a
Leon Lionheartly: um There's a reason it's only number seven on my list. I think it is a phenomenal RPG. I just think what ah the games that are out there of that time can do it better.
Leon Lionheartly: Now, Chrono Trigger has the one thing that I think was very unique and there's reason it's on my top 10 and that is the multiple endings ah capability.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thank you.
neocharge: Oh yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: That right there was more than enough ah for my little brain to go, oh shit, this is an RPG with replayability mechanics, which was unheard of at the time.
Leon Lionheartly: At least I hadn't heard of anything.
neocharge: my
Leon Lionheartly: um My only regret is I don't have a physical copy of it. and the only thing the only place I know that has it has a complete box and I don't feel like spending $650 on it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to guess 550 at least. So another hundred.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Yeah. All right.
Leon Lionheartly: But yeah.
neocharge: i have ah I have a complete in-box, not SNES. I have it for the Nintendo DS.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, me too. I have for the DS as well.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes. Please, just give us another, give us a remake.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Remaster something.
neocharge: Oh, my God. And the 2D HD engine? Oh, please.
Leon Lionheartly: If Square took Chrono Trigger and put it in the same engine for Octopath, um I would probably buy one for every version of the console release.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: like That's how much I would be in on this.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Oh my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, definitely.
neocharge: 100%.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like for real.
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's just give that to me.
neocharge: Right. Hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, when it comes to, and I don't want to say obscure, but I'm talking about Leslie Soul or ah JRPGs that didn't sell as well.
neocharge: right
Leon Lionheartly: They're the two big ones. I chose Corner Trigger um simply because if you gave me a remake of that, I would probably scream like when they did Mario RPG. um And the other one, of course, I will leave to the side in case you haven't, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was so, I mean, you know that I did, but I didn't know if ah Matt was going to have it on there.
Leon Lionheartly: you
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I realized that he's still playing through part of it but technically on the switch. And i I figured that you might, but because you took k Chrono Trigger, I will, I will gracefully and graciously accept talking about Final Fantasy six.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I can argue about four for most people would know this. When it came out in Japan, one was one there and one was one here. Two never came out over here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So two over there was not two over here. And then three never came out over here back then. So we never got a two and a three. So when there, Japanese four, Final Fantasy four came out on the Super Nintendo, it was Final Fantasy two in the United States.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think in the UK. um And that would have been, God, I would guess, i should I feel like I should know what year that was. And I do,
Leon Lionheartly: You
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but yeah i don't I honestly don't even know.
Leon Lionheartly: you said Final Fantasy
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think Final Fantasy 4 was actually earlier. I think it was like 91 or 92. And then I think Final Fantasy 6, which was 3 over here. i think I think Final Fantasy 6 was 94.
Leon Lionheartly: You're right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ninety four I think that was the that was 94. But I would put 6 above 4 solely because I do think that it's... It is arguably the best in the series.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just overall, i Seven is my favorite. All of them, I love all of them. They're all my special babies. But I do think that objectively, Six is probably the best game in the series if you look at it when it came out.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you know Some of the quality life stuff and some of the evolutionary stuff that ah we don't we didn't have then that we have now, if you go back, it can be a little rough.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh-huh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But ah Four was the first Final Fantasy that I'd ever played. And I think I talked about this on an earlier podcast briefly where I played a Japanese copy and I did not speak Japanese at all.
neocharge: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't read Japanese at all. I borrowed it from like a friend of my sister's who wanted to borrow a game that I had, but he didn't have an English Super Nintendo. So we had to trade consoles and games.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I got his Japanese Famicom and a Japanese copy of Final Fantasy IV. And I had no idea what was going on. So I would just boot up a save file and play it and die because I didn't know what the hell I was doing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it intrigued me enough that when I finally saw it in English later, I was like, I recognize that, that I didn't know his name. I didn't know it was Cecil. Like I had no idea. Cause again, it was all in, uh, Katakana, uh, and some kanji, but, um,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I loved 4. The thing is, 6 refined so much. In the 16-bit era, we're talking about the best of the best 16-bit games.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And all the games that I've listed so far, I would not even put on my best list. I just wanted them to be talked about. This is on my best 16-bit game list easily. Chrono Trigger is up there too.
neocharge: oh yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Final Fantasy 4 and 6. The thing is, I love it RPGs. I loved them so much. Most of my top list would have been RPGs. So I had to find other ones, but ah yeah, you, I mean, you could be, what is it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): 12, 14 characters. I think I actually don't remember. I should know that as a final fantasy guy, but a shitload of characters and while not all of them work very well,
neocharge: A shitload.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): 85% of them work really well. I'm talking about Umaro. I mean, he's just a big old honking guy that smashes things. like that's He's interesting and he's unique for the game, but because you can't really control him, it's not as fun as it should be.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, that's not a spoiler. Sorry, Matt. The game is 1994. You've seen him already.
neocharge: Oh, no, I know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He's a big old Yeti.
neocharge: I've already seen them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
neocharge: But then you have Cyan.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah.
neocharge: You have Setzer.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, very unique, very unique characters.
neocharge: Like, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They all have their own personalities. They all have their own ah play mechanics, and they're all executed very well. um But the music, also one of the most iconic, because as you talked about in your last cast with Uematsu,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um i mean yeah it's tough to beat the the greatest of all time. I would argue he's the greatest composer, video game composer of all time.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And not just because yeah not just because they he make my favorite games,
neocharge: Up there with Kondo.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just think that the man made music more noticeable when he finally was able to shine. And it's not taken away the earlier stuff.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mega Man has great scores, the very iconic, very recognizable. but when you listen to a Mega Man score as a kid, you might not cry the same way that you listen to a Final Fantasy score and you just get teary-eyed for, for you know, Mega Man's a nostalgia.
Leon Lionheartly: that's going to happen. not situation. right. Yeah. I
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Final Fantasy has that that feeling.
Leon Lionheartly: think that's good thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): This is not the the soundtrack episode, so i'm sorry for derailing a little bit, but you get me talking about my favorite series ever, I gotta to give it got to give it up.
Leon Lionheartly: that's good thing. think that's good think that's good think that's good thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, yeah, thank you for letting me announce Final Fantasy VI.
neocharge: i yeah Let's
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's one of the best Super Nintendo 16-bit era games ever made.
Leon Lionheartly: It's funny. is that I knew you were pick that was on your list no matter what, but that's not the obscure RPG I was talking about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and Okay. Well, I probably have that one on there too. Does it start with a T?
Leon Lionheartly: ah No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, well, all right.
neocharge: ah start with a B.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Nevermind.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah um So maybe you don't have it. And if that's the case, I'm really shocked. um But anyways, yes, you're right. I'll give you your little fact, Caleb, just because I i remember this.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: You know, Final Fantasy 4 and 5, they both came out on the SNES in Japan, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: You know, Final Fantasy 4 was originally supposed to be developed at the same time as Final Fantasy 5. The difference is it was supposed to be on the s error on the n NES.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you know I think I did know that, but not until very recently. I think ah because I just replayed the Final Fantasy 4 pixel remaster and i've finished it the other day.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Thank you.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I guess when we were talking about games we played, I got through it so fast that I forgot I just played it. think i got all the way through it beginning, middle, end.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um But I was just going down a rabbit hole of looking up some history of the games. And I think I just realized that I i didn't know that, though.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, um which just makes it weird because then it didn't, yeah but but that's not neither here nor there. We could probably talk all all the all night and then until the early morning, just you and I, about that shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, we could. So we'll just, we'll cut it off there.
Leon Lionheartly: Of course. that
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I'm i'm looking forward to the obscure one you you have, because I'm curious if I have it.
Leon Lionheartly: it
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So Matt, what what do you got next, buddy?
neocharge: Oh yeah. So going to the Sega Genesis, one of the first games I ever played, Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, you of course. Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: of course
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah, it's ah it's a classic. One of the better Sonic the Hedgehog 2D side scrollers. um Yeah, Generations just came out. They went kind of back to 2D, and I feel like that's the best way to do Sonic. Sonic and Knuckles was great, too.
neocharge: But two, it holds the soldier for me because it was one of the first games I ever played. And it was in my uncle's bedroom and I would go to my grandma's all the time. ah My uncle lived grandma and i would play that shit all the time.
neocharge: It was one of my faves. I could never beat it at that age, but recently ah beat it in one of the Sonic collections. So Sonic the Hedgehog 2, just an awesome Beautiful Pixar game on the Sega Genesis.
neocharge: It's a system seller for the Sega Genesis.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it Yeah.
neocharge: Sonic was rivaling Mario at the time. And ah yeah, just really cool level design. You go really fast and the the stuff they did mechanically was very impressive.
neocharge: So I know Alex will like that too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's... it's
neocharge: He's a big Sonic fan.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's really funny you mentioned that it was a system seller because it really was. i had convinced um one of my younger relatives that the game was actually called Not For Resale because that was plastered on top of ah ah the thing, of the cartridge.
neocharge: Hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: really
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I just remember, i think maybe one of his brothers broke it or took it to give to a friend. I don't remember, but I remember him asking his mom for Christmas. He needed and another Not For Resale, another copy of Not For Resale.
neocharge: What a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And she had no idea what it meant. and And I felt bad because I was just like, it's this game and I'm a jerk I'm a jerk I think I've done that I mean you know was like 7, 8 years something like that and I thought that was funny to tell my 6 year old anyway so jerk oh
Leon Lionheartly: well
neocharge: what a dick.
Leon Lionheartly: The asshole thing.
neocharge: What the hell.
Leon Lionheartly: and
neocharge: That's funny.
neocharge: Shit.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh. but
neocharge: yeah You guys obviously played Sonic the Edgehog 2, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah oh yeah yeah and well so was that on your list Bob were any Sonics on your list
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. No.
Leon Lionheartly: No.
Leon Lionheartly: No. Like I said, I don't have that tism, but I know him and I played him.
neocharge: nine them
Leon Lionheartly: The one I really like came out on the Sega. So if I had to pick one, Sonic Pinball.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Well, the reason I ask if it was on your list, because there's one that in my list of, since since he brought up Sonic, I'm just going to say it. I'm wondering if it counted because it came out on a newer system, but I think it was in 60-bit.
neocharge: Mania.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sonic Mania. Yeah. I think Sonic Mania is one of the best Sonic games.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I am very biased because I'm an RPG lover, but I wondered if that one was on yours, Bob, since you also love RPGs.
neocharge: So good.
Leon Lionheartly: No, but I know what you're talking about. I played a little bit of it. It's a really good game. I enjoyed what i enjoyed it for what it was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i so It surprised me. I thought it was going to be absolute trash because I'm like, you guys haven't been able to.
neocharge: It's great.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was awesome. It was very, very well done. So yeah, good good a choice with Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I do think that's probably the staple in the series that would be the most worth mentioning, even though everybody kind of knows what it is.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Even if they don't like Sonic, you're like, Sonic 2, of course. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is great.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Right. Yeah. And it holds a soldier for me, so...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Definitely.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Music is awesome in all of the Sonics, but Sonic 2 great.
neocharge: Oh my god. Iconic. Iconic. And the last MAGFest was Sonic themed, so that was really cool.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but And you guys have both seen the movies, right? The newer Paramount movies.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Yeah, I like them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When they have the score playing and that you get that hint of like Green Hill Zone or or whatever, you can't help but just get a big-ass grin on your face because you're like, this is good.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Oh yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they did ah a good job in the movie ah for video game fans, I think.
neocharge: Yep. Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. No, it's a, it's a good choice, Matt.
neocharge: I loved them. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, Sonic games are legendary for the reason they made Nintendo. He made Nintendo sweat that I will always respect that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
neocharge: Sure did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So what you got next, Bob?
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, all right. So this one is uh, fighting game, believe it or not. Um, I see that look on Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I have four or five on my at least talk about.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh,
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I'm curious.
Leon Lionheartly: so So this isn't the one that started the controversy with Night Trap um and created the yeah ESRB system. ah This one came later on in the series. and This is the one where I really understood what combos meant.
Leon Lionheartly: um And I loved not only did they have one finisher at the end, but they had multiples of them, depending on what you were looking for. um And that's Mortal Kombat 3. Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. i was So Mortal Kombat 2 was the one that I was going to at least mention, but obviously 3 is very special as well.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, that's the, that's the, one of the very first times I can remember actually, um actively studying and practicing a combo because, uh, sub zero had the like 19 hit combo that was just wham, wham, wham, wham. Um,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The Brutalities, right?
Leon Lionheartly: on
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That was when the Brutalities were introduced? Was that in 3?
Leon Lionheartly: That's when you have brutalities. That's when you had fatalities naturally. That's when you had animalities. That's when you had babalities. That's when you had friendship.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, like I remember Johnny, uh, Johnny Cage, just like giving an autograph to a person and then they're like friendship.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, but, uh, yeah, it ran beautifully on the SNES, um, compared to the, I don't remember the Sega version, but I remember playing the SNES version and it played beautifully.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, that's when you got to play the smoke.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: That's when you got to hear about noob Sabat. Um, um, this is This was peak when Bob's attention was ah hanging out on Mortal Kombat series as a whole.
Leon Lionheartly: I've played others, and like Mortal Kombat 1 kind of has my interest. um But Mortal Kombat 3 was my my shining star in the sky.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that was the That was the slugger. like that Everybody that even was remotely interested in Mortal Kombat, everybody played 3. Because they figured out the the roster. It was such a big roster.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they figured out mechanically. And like you said, it ran like a dream. And I know in most of the cartridges, the games ran pretty well because they were cartridges. But I do know, I remember Mortal Kombat 1 was better on Sega than on SNES.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then Mortal Kombat 2 and 3 were just wildly better, in my experience, on the Super Nintendo. So hell, I don't even remember. I know I played Mortal Kombat three on the Sega, but I don't, I didn't own it. I owned it for the, for the Super Nintendo on that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And man, that was, that's a good, that's, that's a really, really good choice for fighting games, especially in the 16 bit era. So we, we have the other big boy, which we can talk about in a minute, but, but yeah, Mortal Kombat was great.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And, and three is a, is really solid. That's a good one.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah uh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know Matt, you didn't really care about those that much, did you? I don't think well I know you aren't a big fighting game fan but
neocharge: Mortal Kombat? but
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
neocharge: well i Yeah, but I used to be. um i played a lot of Mortal Kombat. I didn't play the 16-bit ones. I played a lot of Deadly Alliance. I played a lot of, I think it was Apocalypse.
neocharge: And um ah um the collection is cool. I probably won't get it, but...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): okay sure
neocharge: Yeah, I mean, they're staples of the the genre, for sure. so And I love the... I'm excited for the movie coming out. I'm more into the lore and IP of it.
neocharge: I love Deadly Alliance, like with the the realms and everything.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: But yeah, I never played the... I played the old ones. I never really got into them, though, so...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah No, that's totally fair. Because there were a lot of times there were people that did one or the other. And I'll i'll just go ahead and take it for the next one. I'm just going say Street Fighter. like Everybody knows that Street Fighter.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
Leon Lionheartly: There it is.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I would specifically say Super Street Fighter 2 was probably the best of that era. um Street Fighter 2, the OG, I think might have been the and might have been the highest selling or most selling game on the Super Nintendo. I might be wrong about that. I know it's up there.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah because it was just incredibly popular in the arcades. And then when people could bring it home, they were like, holy shit, this works really well. But they did a lot of iterations on the Super Nintendo ah specifically. I know they came out on Sega as well, but I knew them from the Super Nintendo where there was Street Fighter 2 and then Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Street Fighter 2 Hyper, Super Street Fighter 2.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know all of the ins and outs of every iteration, but I do know that... Some of them you could you could play as the same character with different skin, different costume colors.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think in the first one you couldn't. And by first one, I mean Street Fighter 2, not Street Fighter 1. We don't talk about Street Fighter 1. But in Super Street Fighter 2, you got a bunch of new characters like Fei Long, Sagat, Balrog, Vega, like all the characters that were were bosses and then some new boys and girls that were very, very cool and unique.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it was it was always the camp of do you play Street Fighter or do you play Mortal Kombat? And I was the kid that played both. I did tend to favor the earlier Mortal Kombats. And then like Mortal Kombat kind of fell off for me.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I kept my love for Street Fighter. I did come back. Mortal Kombat, not the last one that came out. not one, the the reboot, if you will. The one right before that was awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Very good. But so is Street Fighter 6. Street Fighter 6 is fucking rad. Yeah, I have a platinum in that and I have a platinum in the Mortal Kombat. I'm more impressed with my platinum from Street Fighter 6 because I didn't think I still had it in me to play fighting games.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I am not nearly as good as my cousin. My cousin will beat the shit out of me at it all the time. But I, but he he loved those. He was a big fan of Street Fighter. And while I would say that Street Fighter three alpha, I actually don't know if that was 16 bit was probably a better game. I don't think many people played it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was more of a cult following. So yeah, you're talking about Mortal Kombat three. I'm going to have to plant my flag and super street fighter to, For the Super Nintendo because that that game got so many hours and probably a lot of broken controllers, if I'm being honest.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i Wait, fun fact. ah On the original Street Fighter 2 that I had for my Super Nintendo, but because I did buy the original and then I bought Super Street Fighter 2. I learned how to fix controllers because of that game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was playing friend who beat, I mean, i was generally better at games, but sometimes but there's, there's those people that are always, there's always going to be somebody better than you at something.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he would wipe the floor with me in street fighter. He was amazing. And I remember I got so mad that I wasn't even thinking, I just grabbed the controller and I grabbed the cable and I, I was like,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I knew enough not to yank it from the system because I didn't want the system to fall on the floor and break. like I was able to stop myself. So instead I ripped it out of the controller and instead of the console end, and I just saw all the all the wires come out.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And of course my heart sank because I was a kid and I realized that my rage was childish and stupid and then I broke my controller. So I totally lied about it to whoever, if my mom yelled at me or if my dad, whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was like, no, no, it's supposed to do that. And then when they were gone, I just started to study the controller, got a screwdriver, took it apart and started tinkering. And that's when I learned how to solder because I had to put the the the wires back in and it worked.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, okay. So then I started to repair my friend's controllers when we raged out ah about the Street Fighter or other games.
neocharge: That's awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, again, sorry for the derail, but I always thought that was a hilarious story. It's like the the more you ah experience, the more you can learn and grow.
Leon Lionheartly: more More lore on Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yes Yeah, i had a I had a problem.
neocharge: um That's awesome. Awesome story.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't like losing. I still don't.
neocharge: We all do.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): hated it.
neocharge: We all do. Oh, I broke controllers in my day for sure. I slammed my original Game Boy playing Super Mario Land. ah slam I slammed it on my head and broke it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but so This is when you headbutted it, right?
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, sir.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, and you never got to beat.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
neocharge: Headbutted it. Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Because it didn't have a save. Like, if you died, you'd go all the way back.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oops.
neocharge: So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right, what's next on your list, buddy?
neocharge: And I died on the last boss.
neocharge: Donkey Kong Country 2.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
neocharge: Diddy Kong's Quest.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Is that your favorite of the of the three for SNES?
Leon Lionheartly: yes sir
neocharge: So... Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Two? Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. The second one. Third one was good. The original was classic. ah But, yeah, the the second one was my favorite.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I love Donkey Kong. 2D platformer following Donkey Kong and Diddy. And I... Dixie was in the third one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): oh yeah
neocharge: ah But Cranky. And, Just...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): funky column
neocharge: just Funky Kong, yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yes
neocharge: ah Very, you know, this kind of was on the heels of Mario, inspired by Mario with the level bass and the 2D side-scrolling, but, you know, you you went got into barrels and you were way stronger and there were animals involved and the level design, the music, it's classic music, right?
neocharge: You hear Donkey Kong.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): oh yeah
neocharge: the The underwater music is so good. the aquatic ambience. They recently re they did Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii, and then they they remastered it and put it on the Switch in the HD version. And I just i love Donkey Kong, and I love 2D platformers, and Donkey Kong was one of the the a handful of the first that did it very, very well.
neocharge: So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Definitely. No, I agree. I had it. I knew it was going to be on somebody's list. So I just wrote it at the bottom.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like if they don't talk about it, I have to at least mention it because that the Donkey Kong series on the SNES is awesome.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. Yep.
neocharge: Yup.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Yeah. So love it. And Tropical Freeze. Love that. I just I love the Donkey Kong games. Donkey Kong 64 kind of flipped the formula a little bit and became third person ah like 3D behind the camera or behind the shoulder camera.
neocharge: But the 2D side scrollers are just the the classic games.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i am I'm so sorry if this is a little inappropriate, but you remember in Donkey Kong 64 when you'd get the banana, you remember what the but the game like what the music was and how the level ended?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you remember what they said?
neocharge: Yeah, it's like, ah they said, banana.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. And then right after that, there was this little, I call it like a, like a Diddy, not to make, not Diddy Kong, but just like a Diddy. Cause it was like Kong, Kong, Donkey Kong ho or whatever.
neocharge: Donkey Kong.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So my friends and I got in trouble for saying that in school because I i love Donkey Kong 64.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And the teacher was like, if you can't say that one more time. So we started to say Kong, Kong, Viet Kong, because we were in social studies class.
neocharge: oh my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was social studies class, so she's just like, if it it has to be related to social studies. And I never got in trouble for saying that one. and And the older I got, the more I realized. I was like, that was wildly inappropriate.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But just I had to share that too because it's ridiculous.
neocharge: funny, though.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
neocharge: Yeah. That's funny.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): we we should just
neocharge: that's funny
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We should man up and play Donkey Kong Bonanza.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know we're all worried about the frame rate and stuff, but it looks really fun.
neocharge: I know. that's i was just i was about to say, it's just the time. It's the time.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it is.
neocharge: I i do really want to play it. I might get on sale for Black Friday, for sure. But i I can... Dude, I played fucking Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on launch.
neocharge: So I can deal with so a little bit of frame dips. I don't want to because I'm like... fuck, I thought we were past this. But apparently what I've been hearing, it's it's not as bad as people are saying.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: And yeah, i and it's the Odyssey team. I really need to play Donkey Kong Bonanza before year's end, I'd say, before the game awards.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: ah So i need I need to get into that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, if Nintendo, if Nintendo still had their voucher program for the switch to games, I, I would have already done it by now. And I know that's weird because it's only like a 10 or $15 discount. And even if they raise the prices a little bit for the games,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it's a bummer that they just got rid of that program for non-Switch 1 games. I really, really wish.
neocharge: I know, it's of nowhere.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. and i And I could justify, i know I'm going to buy another Switch 2 game. So you're gonna you're going to win. You're going to get more money if you let me just get two and save a little bit of dough.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, anyway, we wouldn't be there without the OG Donkey Kong Country ah games on the Super Nintendo.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So excellent choice, my friend.
neocharge: Exactly. Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Good choice, man.
neocharge: How about you, Bob?
Leon Lionheartly: um DKC, the original, is my favorite. ah I love that game.
neocharge: OK.
Leon Lionheartly: I...
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah I loved all three of them. I do remember DKC, DKC2, and then DKC3 ended up topping them all. But you remember the Nintendo, you know, Matt, you remember the Nintendo Power? They used to have the top best-selling SNES games or Nintendo games at the time.
Leon Lionheartly: And Donkey Kong Country 3 and another game were on the top of that list for the most records.
neocharge: Of course.
Leon Lionheartly: i mean We're talking like 64 months in a row or something they were on those lists.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good Lord. What was the other one?
neocharge: Yeah. Short, short, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It's on my list, so I'm not going to say right now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Okay.
neocharge: Short aside, ah Caleb, I know you got your game informer physical issues. Bob, have you gotten yours?
Leon Lionheartly: I didn't check the mail today, but not yet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. I just got mine, Bob, on Monday.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Finally.
Leon Lionheartly: oh okay.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah, I'm glad that they at least finally sent them. I, ah Mad respect for the team. I know that they can't fix the postal service, but it was just, it's been a bummer to not be able to read these issues.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah, hold, hold faith, buddy. Both of mine came on Monday when I was in Seeker Point, actually.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, hell yeah. a Awesome. I'm going to probably go check right after we're done recording here. so ah Thank you.
neocharge: Do it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So what's next on your list?
Leon Lionheartly: um Alright, so the next one on my list, I'm trying to jump around. ah So the top three gentlemen will be the same. They've always been the same, so I apologize.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: But number five, I wanted to go something obscure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: This is what started my love of the simulation and 4X game genre. Um... It is a little bit of a we wacky game that allows you to play as difficult as you want or as easy as you want while still yeah allowing for creativity and roaming.
Leon Lionheartly: um I'm pretty sure this is probably the Minecraft of my generation, um and that's SimCity 2000.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): okay
Leon Lionheartly: ah what can I say about this game other than you are doing a city builder building by blocks you've got a factor for power you've got a factor for roads with traffic you're building skyscrapers and people are doing their little simulation thing and then just like a kid at the beach when he's built a sandcastle when you're finally done with it all you summon Bowser to destroy the city i
Leon Lionheartly: ah So i'm assuming then you've you played this, Caleb?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i So I played SimCity on the PC at the time at my uncle's, actually. I never got to play it on consoles. And part of that was i not to be that PC elitist, but that was a game that I felt you needed a mouse to play.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was going to ask how it ran on the Super Nintendo or wherever you played it. I assume it was a Super Nintendo, right?
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Yeah, it was the SNES.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): don't know it was anywhere else.
Leon Lionheartly: It ran well, but its controls were jank as fuck. There's no nice way to put it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: and ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: ah But it was still... That was my introduction to the simulation genre in the 4X games, um as far as back as I can remember. Maybe there is something earlier and I'm not remembering. um But I remember just...
Leon Lionheartly: that the The guy, or the Mr.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Sid Wright himself with the green hair that was like parted like he was some kind of uber ah super villain ah walking around giving you the ah the tutorials.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um yeah It's a classic game. I played a lot of hours of it, which then led into me playing ah Civilization, which led me into playing Heroes of Might Magic 3, which led me into all kinds of things from theyre going forward.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, i I do have to ask now because it's it's not on my list. I mean, it's I doubt it's on either of yours, but because you brought up that style. Did ever play Populous?
Leon Lionheartly: it It was almost on my list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was almost there. Okay. Because I thought that's when you started to describe it, I thought you were going to say Populous and then you went to SimCity. And I was like, oh, okay. ah For the people that don't know, I'm pretty sure. Wasn't that the the guy who made Fable?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wasn't that Populous?
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. um His name is Molly. No.
neocharge: Molyneux?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah. It was.
neocharge: Peter Molyneux?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that That might have been his first game that I ever knew. It might have been his first game. I i actually don't know that. But that was the first game he ever did that I ever started to pay attention to him. I didn't necessarily like Populous, but it doesn't make it bad. It just wasn't my jam.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that was that It wasn't my thing. So i'm I am glad that it almost made your list, actually, Bob. That's an interesting choice.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. it's ah you when you When it comes to the two of them, because I try to keep genre specific, Populous is pretty rough.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it it is.
Leon Lionheartly: It's not a bad game, but SimCity, the difference, I think the deciding factor is SimCity gives you tutorials and explains the game. Populous is just kind of like, good luck, fucker.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, you really don't know what the hell is going on in that.
Leon Lionheartly: here and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Yeah. So, all right, well, I will, I will go next. And I'm, I'm really avoiding this one for you, Matt. So I'm not going to say I just letting you take it. Just, just take it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um I'm going to say another one that's a little bit lesser known.
Leon Lionheartly: Take care.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um It's a little bit more widely known now because they did just do a re remake. I don't know if it was official remake or just a remaster. And I would say it was a remake. um This game was weirdly near and dear to my heart on the Super Nintendo.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Again, not not like a top contender or anything, but it was special. So it needs to be talked about. It Squaresoft game called Actraiser where you played as God sort of, and not really, and then an angel, but sort of, not really. Again, it's complicated.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it was a hybrid of an action, side-scrolling platformer that also was a town builder. So your job was to sort of bring ah the population and and joy and happiness and and hope back to...
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't remember if it was specifically humanity. I really don't remember I think it was, but you inhabited a statue. Like the angel came down and inhabited a statue to fight these monsters. um It was, it was another one of those games. It was just weird.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And when I discovered it, don't,
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know how it was ever greenlit because it's just weird, but it it worked. It was fun. It was, it was difficult enough that it was interesting and they just tried something new.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They, they tried, mean, what game, what other game can you play where you do side scrolly? You're an angel and a statue that has magic and a sword, and then you can also build a town and then like, it just doesn't really make sense.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, I loved act razor. I'm not gonna lie. I don't, remember if I ever beat Actraiser 2. I know I played the hell out of Actraiser 1, but Actraiser 2 I don't know as much about.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So if it is a better game and listeners know, I'm sorry that that's not the one I talked about. Actraiser 1 was first and it was it's a 16-bit cult classic to me.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I don't know. Did you guys ever ever touch them?
Leon Lionheartly: i i never I remember touching it, but I can't tell you this. like i think I remember touching it, but I don't remember like outside of that. but what i do remember was the yeah right What I do remember is the ridiculousness that he holds that broadsword.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's what she said.
neocharge: Yes, thank you
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. it's It's just, it's kind of bonkers.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like it just doesn't,
Leon Lionheartly: It's kind of awkward. There's no way to but describe it other than he's just like off to the side in this awkward position so you can see it. But if you're looking at it in real life, it makes zero sense to hold it that way. um that That I do much harder remember.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it's like he swings it down at like a 90 degree angle with his wrist or something. And i I might be misremembering, but I swear he made this ridiculous sound
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): whenever you'd go to attack and the sword would swing down, I'm pretty sure it was like, ha, ha, ha, ha. ha Like it just, its maybe that's not even the same game and I'm starting to become a real old man, but that's what I remember.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I do need to play the, the remastered remade one. Cause I think it's like 20 bucks, 25 bucks. And that was a special one. And it's a surprise that I didn't play it when it came out, came out at a bad time.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I own it. I just haven't even booted it up yet.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: so you took my number five
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I did?
neocharge: no ah the number five chrono trigger yeah so I guess no it's all good ah so maybe just skip me or I have another one I can talk about just after Caleb yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, it's Chrono Trigger.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, okay, okay, okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay, yeah, yeah. I'm sorry.
Leon Lionheartly: Give it some.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. There, that.
neocharge: Yeah, i know so I never played Actraiser, by the way.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay, okay.
neocharge: ah But I would love to to check it out. But when, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: ah So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's a weird game. So I can understand if you look at a trailer and you're like, I don't care about this, but it is more fun than it looks.
neocharge: um
neocharge: my
neocharge: Yeah. ah Yeah, so number five was Crotter Trigger, for sure. Man, just incredible game. But I'll give it to The Messenger.
Leon Lionheartly: Ooh.
neocharge: And, yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Ooh.
neocharge: So the Messenger is very heavily Ninja Gaiden inspired. ah They even say, like, your name's... You ever heard of this guy named John Yeah. ah yeah It's great.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Those cheeky...
neocharge: ah just Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Sabotage Studio. They made Sea of Stars. And just a super cool pixel art game that has a big twist. I think we already said it, but it's...
neocharge: half a 16-bit game and half an 8-bit game because you actually can switch back and forth between 16-bit and 8-bit. So it could be on both the 8-bit list the 16-bit list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's why we weren't sure where we should put it.
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Right, exactly, exactly. ah This game doesn't take itself too seriously. Very creative, fun writing, incredible gameplay, awesome bosses, really cool story.
neocharge: just ah And then there's a little Sea of Stars tease in there, too. If you go on one of the levels, you can do this pretty intense platforming challenge and find some... ah an Easter egg for their next game, which was Sea of Stars.
neocharge: So, yeah, I had to give it to the messenger. It's it's coming back into the modern age. The messenger was like 2018, I believe.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I think so.
neocharge: ah Yeah. And you recently played it, Bob. You loved it. You played it, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: You loved it. And, yeah, it it kind of paved the way for Sea of Stars. So, yeah, Sabotage Studio. they ah They definitely haven't missed.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): maybe
neocharge: And...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Maybe it's the first and only 12-bit game because it's 8 and 16, so we should have talked about on episode 12.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay. Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah, that's true. That's true. Yeah, if you haven't played it, go play it If you like Ninja Gaiden, why haven't you played it? It's incredible. So, yeah, atta that'll take the Chrono Trigger spot.
neocharge: And I think we probably have some other ones that maybe, yeah, yeah, we're probably going to be overlapping here.
Leon Lionheartly: okay
neocharge: So we'll just throw out our honorable mentions.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cool.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: up Okay.
neocharge: All right.
Leon Lionheartly: We'll throw out Alainboro mentions here in a little bit, but ah number four. By the way, I want to let you know, Matt, that was a good pick. that I love that game. Platinum Day because of you.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: Yeah, awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): is It's great, right? this it's so it was very, very good.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah So good.
neocharge: So good.
Leon Lionheartly: So good. Yeah,
neocharge: Yeah, and and Bob, what I meant was not our honorable but honorable mentions and now. We still have four other top ones to get to, and we're in the exciting part.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah, yeah.
neocharge: But if we overlap, we'll pull from our honorable mention.
Leon Lionheartly: Gotcha. Yeah.
neocharge: That's what I meant. Yeah, we're not going to throw our honorable mentions out.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And i guarantee I guarantee I got you boys for the ones that we might not talk about.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I won't even belabor them. If we get to that point, I'll just rapid fire be like, boom, boom, boom, boom. boom These are all great. Shut up. so
neocharge: Can
Leon Lionheartly: i Can i just I give you like a hand signal that says, yes, I played it, no, I didn't? kind of sit We'll figure it out when we get there.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: yeah
Leon Lionheartly: um Number three, or number four, sorry, number four. ah Hey, guess what, kids? It's a 1990 side-scrolling shooter. But here's a hint.
Leon Lionheartly: It's not Mega Man.
Leon Lionheartly: This was a...
neocharge: I take a guess?
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Contra. Contra.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, sir.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Launcher through the alien wars.
Leon Lionheartly: Contra 3D. Yes, this game was my first Souls-like game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes. Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: This thing kicked my ass for the longest time.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah If you haven't played it, ah like I said, side-scroller shoot-em-up game where you go from, and this is where you were talking about, ah was it Axiom Verge earlier there, Matt?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep. Yep. yeah
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: Some of those levels remind me of the aesthetics of the late levels of levels of Contra the Alien Wars. um I saw the screenshots and immediately went, oh, I recognize that that style, um if you will.
Leon Lionheartly: ah va can That game was amazing. I loved what made this one so much special is it was not only just a side-scrolling, but then they got you at the top-down shoot-em.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like they mixed up the levels, right?
Leon Lionheartly: Did you guys ever...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Where one level would be left to right or top to bottom. And then the next level you'd be top down.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it was very, very cleverly done. That's actually my favorite my favorite Contra was Contra 3, the Alien Wars.
Leon Lionheartly: Very clever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I'm glad you talked about it.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes! That's great. Thank you. Thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And earlier, if you remember when we were talking about Axiom Verge and you said it reminded you, immediately i was like, I hope it's Contra 3. But I didn't say it because I was i was hoping that it was on somebody's list.
Leon Lionheartly: you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So hell yeah, Bob. Get out of my head.
Leon Lionheartly: yes Alright, I'll get in your head. did you When you were doing the top-down levels and you finished, did you press and hold the L l and R buttons at the same time?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Spin around and shoot yeah all the time.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes!
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i always wanted to get like two lasers or or the, I called it the flamethrower boner. Cause it was just a boner of fire.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes. Did that all the time. It was loads of fun.
Leon Lionheartly: oh But yeah, ah what can I say? this is This was peak Contra for me. It's my favorite Contra game of all time. um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: I know the later stuff kind of sucks. So would you please, Konami, get your head out of your ass and once you're done doing a Castlevania, go back and do a good Contra game. And then I'll be happy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I would love if they could just figure out a way to do that. like that that Just please. Because I miss those games. those were They were brutal. When you said it was the first Souls-like you ever played, you weren't kidding.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I remember renting Contra 3 The Alien Wars because I was excited.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't even know it existed. I knew about the first two and and like Super Contra or Super C, but I was walking around. I think I was in an IGA buying milk for my mom or something like that. And I look over on the shelf and they had five games to rent.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And one of them was Contra 3, the alien wars. And I saw the box art and I just, I was like, I need that in my life. Rented it, took it home, hated myself. Cause it was really hard. Took it back.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Couldn't rent it anymore. Cause other people rented it and kids wouldn't return it. It was the wild west in those days. But I eventually just caved and bought it. I was like, this game, i need to spend more time on it. And it was so difficult.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It took me a long time to beat that game. It was very, very hard, but very fun.
Leon Lionheartly: It did. It did. ah All right. So quick jump 30 seconds, people, if you don't like connected spoilers. so All right. Caleb, you played Split Fiction, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): actually didn't play it yet. I need to. I haven't played it yet, but I i know. i know. i know. i didn't.
Leon Lionheartly: There's a level in there.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't really, there is really.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): okay Shit.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes. You need to go play it because I played it and people ah Matt was like, oh, this is Tron. And I immediately went, no, this is Alien Wars.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh my God. Yes. I, Oh, fuck.
Leon Lionheartly: So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm about to just download it right now.
neocharge: What a fantastic game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and
neocharge: Split fiction. Oh, yeah, you get it. Dude, that's one of the many, many callbacks to to games or to to like the greats.
Leon Lionheartly: yes. yes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So glad to hear it.
neocharge: So just, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I know, I mean, the game, i drafted it for a reason. I'm going to play it someday. Just at the time I couldn't and I needed somebody else to play with.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, eh, so I just didn't.
neocharge: of
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, ah now that you tell me that just I'm about to just two hand it myself. Let's just give me two controllers and see if I can, uh,
neocharge: Oh my God. You two handed yourself a lot.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I grew up two-handing myself. Where do you think I got those Sekiro reaction skills?
neocharge: Yeah. Oh my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Two-handed myself, son.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, we've reached that point in the podcast, guys.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
neocharge: Oh boy.
Leon Lionheartly: We've reached that point.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm so sorry.
neocharge: ah Delirium.
Leon Lionheartly: Delirium. ah
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: B.S. Contra 3 The Alien Wars. Number four. Take it away, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right, let's see. What's one? yeah Matt still hasn't said that. He hasn't said that one either. i'm I'm not going to let this go for a while. I know what your number one is, Bob, so I'm leaving that for you. um
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Here, I will just go down to a non-RPG. Nope, I lied. I'm going to an RPG. This is another honorable mention that I wonder if either of you have... ah I'm sure you've heard of it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): this is i'm I'm breaking my one rule. This is the one game on this list that I've not actually played. And it's because it didn't get a release in this country. ah You had to play it on an emulator.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i'm Is it on your list, Bob? Because if it is, I won't say it.
Leon Lionheartly: No, no, no. Keep going because there's no way in hell Matt had it on his list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. um So this, I believe it released for the Super Nintendo in 1995. And it is called Terranigma. if Have you ever heard of it, Matt? No?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay, he's shaking his head. No, he's not heard it.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay, so this is not a game that is easily explained in a short amount of time, and I know that the cast has gone on a while, so I won't.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm just going to leave...
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Terranigma was a very special, different type of... I believe you're just one character the whole time. I don't think you're a party. I think you're one character,
neocharge: you
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and It's almost like a a secret of mana control scheme, I guess is what I would say. a little bit more action oriented than a standard RPG, but there's things like magic and such.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um but One of my very good friends has been bugging me to get an emulation of this. And I've always said, I will buy it.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I will pay for it if they would just release it on the Switch. or Because I'm pretty sure it was only Super Nintendo. I don't think it was anywhere else. Um, but it has gone on. i mean, it's 30 years old at this point.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I guess I wouldn't feel as guilty getting an emulator, uh, to, to run it. I just, I don't know. I like to buy my games. I don't like to, uh, steal them from the internet. So that's part of my problem, but he's talked to me at great length about this game and how it's just special.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it made him just think about things that he never thought about before, when he was a kid and he played it again when he was older, he played it, a ah emulator in college. Um,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but Terra Enigma, I'm just going to leave it at that. It's spelled T-E-R-R-A-N-I-G-M-A, I believe. ah Might be one of the first games that had... Might be one of the only games that had this style, so I'm not even going to describe it. i just I want people to look it up. If you're listening, look up Terra Enigma if you've never heard of it, and ah if you have questions about it, drop them in the Discord.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'd be happy to talk about it. I just... I could be here for two hours telling you about a game I've never actually played. It's just, it was an icon on the 16 bit era in the small, the small crowd of people that got to play it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So check it out.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Interesting.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Did you ever play it Bob?
neocharge: I've never heard of it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you, do you know?
Leon Lionheartly: I've never gotten to play it, but I yeah almost immediately knew what you were talking about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: um made It's an aloof game, is the best way to put it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah. That's exactly. It's hard to describe.
Leon Lionheartly: It's an enigma.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so
Leon Lionheartly: Hey!
neocharge: a Ah, a terror enigma.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Serenigma, yeah. yes
neocharge: So, oddly I mean, if you were to pigeonhole it into a genre, what would it be?
Leon Lionheartly: Action RPG? Action
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Religious action RPG?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But when I say religious, I don't mean like, you know, it doesn't teach you that this religion is good and all the other ones are bad.
neocharge: Oh my God. Okay.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not like that. It's just, there's a lot about faith and spirituality, and and but it's it's a little bit less on the nose about it.
neocharge: I see. I see.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's a feeling you get when you play the game.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's what i would how I would describe it.
neocharge: Yeah. Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But that that's the only one on on this list at all. I have a pretty hard rule that I don't want to put something that I've not personally played, but that one
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i've I've heard about it from a lot of my friends that are always telling me, when you get that time, you got to go back and play this game because it's it's like right up your alley.
neocharge: Very cool.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I've seen trailers. I've watched videos to see if I was interested. And it looks it looks awesome.
neocharge: one
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It really does. it sounds It sounds like one of the most unique games in the world. So I need to do that.
neocharge: o
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But that's why I needed to be talked about on this episode. So there you go.
Leon Lionheartly: There you
neocharge: very cool I'm wondering which one you have on your list that you're waiting for me to say. Because I...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I have three, two, two for you specifically.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Well, is this one? ah Because it's in the vein of my favorite IPs.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So far so good.
neocharge: We're on number four, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: uh four yeah four
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Well, you skipped five and became five.
neocharge: It's... it's like Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So four. Yeah. Yes.
neocharge: it's the It's the father of one of my favorite genres. Right. And this is Castlevania.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: Super Castlevania 4. But the yeah the the other one's coming up, alright?
Leon Lionheartly: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that That's one of three.
neocharge: So just just the other one's coming up.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, you have two more to to get to, yes.
neocharge: Okay.
neocharge: Yeah, this is kind of like a remake of one follows Simon. ah And man, they they stepped it up after Castlevania three. And it's just, ah you know, more pixels, right? 16 bit and really cool bosses, really cool enemy designs. The music is awesome.
neocharge: It's just a really fun Castlevania.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: Not as good as some of the handheld ones. Uh, I gotta say the handheld ones are some of my favorites, not as good as symphony of the night, but it's definitely up there when it comes to 16 bit and I can't not have Castlevania game.
neocharge: Uh, I loved it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
neocharge: And yeah, it it follows Simon. He's one of the the most famous Belmonts other than like Richter and, ah just all kinds of Trevor, of course.
neocharge: Um, But yeah, I love this game. And it's a really good Castlevania game.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: So I think I played it in one of the collections that came out. I didn't play it on original hardware. And a shout out to Bloodlines as well. Really fucking hard game.
neocharge: Follows Richter. ah But I kind of liked 4 over Bloodlines. Bloodlines was too hard, dude.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): was Was Bloodlines on the GBA?
neocharge: Bloodlines was so hard.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): where Where was that? I don't remember. I played it and I don't remember what system it was on.
neocharge: but
neocharge: Bloodlines, I think, was on PSP as a Pixar 16-bit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. that's That's got to be where I played it then.
neocharge: Yeah. I think it released on the SNES in Japan only, and then they ported it over to the PSP on the in the States.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. That would be why it took me that long to play it because I couldn't.
neocharge: So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but I couldn't until it came out.
neocharge: ye And i I recently played it in the Requiem collection, which was Symphony of the Night and Bloodlines, because Bloodlines is right before Symphony of the Night.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's the Netflix show, right? Basically, what wasn't Bloodlines? Some of that.
neocharge: The Netflix show, it it took some stuff from Bloodlines for sure, for sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not all of it.
neocharge: But it doesn't follow any of the games, really. so But it does take some stuff from Loosely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah guess just some characters. Yeah. Yeah, loosely. Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure. But yeah, Super Castlevania ah Awesome, gorgeous pixel art Castlevania. And ah yeah, you you fight ah Death, the Gibeon, and the ah the other flying guy that is usually with the Gibeon all at once.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, yeah, that's the name.
neocharge: That is crazy. So Slogra, Slogra. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yep. So, really cool Castlevania game. Had to have it on my list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, I'm glad you got one of three.
neocharge: We're in the... ah All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so So we'll see the other two. If you don't have the other two, I'm going to dig a hole to the other side of the planet.
Leon Lionheartly: i
Leon Lionheartly: i
neocharge: We're in our top...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: We're in our top three.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So...
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Yeah, we are. And I know two. And I'm like, what's the third one? That's the... I know you well enough, Matt, but I can't think of the third one. Damn.
Leon Lionheartly: That's good choice, though. ah
neocharge: Did you ever play it?
Leon Lionheartly: That's one that missed me. um I really need to go back and do it. ah Maybe I'll get around to it at some point. um But I know the other ones on your list, and I know one of them I did play. So I'm going to let you take that one.
Leon Lionheartly: ah All right. Number three. So I, on the off chance, so my top three folks are always the same out of the 16-bit era. But...
Leon Lionheartly: but off the off chance that Matt has this game in his, or when my number three, in his list, I'm going to choose the sequel to it.
Leon Lionheartly: Simply because the sequel is fundamentally different than the original.
neocharge: I might have the sequel instead of, but I don't know what we're talking about.
Leon Lionheartly: oh Okay.
neocharge: Is it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think you got to just do it, Bob.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You got to just go for it.
Leon Lionheartly: Take a guess.
neocharge: Yeah. Say one of them and I'll i'll do the other one.
Leon Lionheartly: All right. I'm going with Yoshi's Island.
neocharge: No, that's not what I Super Mario world.
Leon Lionheartly: ah Okay. All right. So I didn't choose that because I wasn't sure if you had the first one. Is that on your list?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, wow.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I left it off for you, Bob, because I knew that that was a big one for you.
Leon Lionheartly: All right.
neocharge: Yeah, I did too.
Leon Lionheartly: Alright, so I'll let you take Super Mario World, please.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but i Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: so um I'm going to take Yoshi's Island, Super Mario World 2, or his colon Yoshi's Island.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: ah Yoshi's Island was fun because remember the... yeah I still can think of that music in my head. ah um but um a yeah And it just it was cartoony.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It was lighthearted. It was fun. And It was the dealing with the crying penguin before dealing with the crying penguin in Super Mario 64 when Mario would end up in in the bubble and everything.
neocharge: you you
Leon Lionheartly: um I will give you... I'm going to do a pit stop real quick, and I'm sorry, guys, because I learned about this a few years ago, and it made me laugh so fucking hard. i to go look this I had to go look it up simply so I know how to say it properly.
Leon Lionheartly: You remember the of the level? Touch fuzzy, get dizzy. I'm assuming you remember that level, right, Caleb?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't until you said it, but yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: You remember what I'm talking about, Matt?
neocharge: ah Yeah, I believe so. And it's so it's triggering.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes. Because if you touch the fuzzy things, the screen goes weird and like you're on drugs.
neocharge: Yup. Yup.
Leon Lionheartly: Do you know what the name of that level is in German?
neocharge: Oh God, what?
Leon Lionheartly: Lusdisk Sporen Drama, which shortens to LSD. yeah
neocharge: That's awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That is a very, very fun fact.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just would have never known that. That's cool.
Leon Lionheartly: Because localization is cool, kids. ah But yes, I chose that because, quite frankly, I assumed Matt had the original um on his list.
Leon Lionheartly: So ah if not, and now that I know that, there you go. My number three, 100% all day, every day. Take it away, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Super Mario World is One of the best Mario games ever. I mean, it's tough because a lot of Mario games are very good.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So you make a strong argument. We talked about this before ah on the 8-bit, I believe. I think Super Mario Brothers 3 is probably the best Mario game that's ever existed.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I could also make a very, very, very strong argument for Super Mario World.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's not that one is better than the other. They're both incredible in their own right. ah I'm actually glad that one was 8-bit and the other one's 16-bit because now we can talk about them both.
neocharge: one
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But what Super Mario World did for, ah well, for Nintendo in general, just the the company, Super Mario World being a pack-in on the first Super Nintendo systems was...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The coolest thing, it sucks that we don't get that anymore, really. Even like, let's talk about Nintendo Switch with the stupid $10 thing that should have been included with the Switch too.
Leon Lionheartly: a
neocharge: a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um But you know, my, how the times have changed. We had a full fledged, amazing, incredible Mario game in Super Mario World. And I just remember we could talk about this forever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I remember how unique all the levels were, the the zones. i I don't remember. I think there were seven probably because seven's a recurring theme and and those were there were eight.
neocharge: Mm-hmm. Eight.
Leon Lionheartly: Eight.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, yeah, I guess if you go, once you go up, yeah, that's, that counts as its own level um or its own world.
neocharge: Super Mario World. Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I remember just thinking the color palette was, was brand new and special.
neocharge: World, yep.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you so much.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah The, the colored blocks that you could get to unlock secret areas and zones and and you could you could just explore. ah The game was kind of endless in the fun that you could have.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it was also accessible. i mean, some of the levels were really, really difficult, but you just got good. You figured out how to fly with Yoshi or spoilers for a game that's very old. You can you can fly with Yoshi. Sorry, guys.
neocharge: lot
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And once you unlock those, those ah when you unlock those secret P levels, and then you you wanted to go back to the older levels be like, wait, where were the yellow blocks that I missed?
neocharge: oh
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then you'd go back and it gave you an incentive to do so. And it was just fun. And the music was great. The graphics were great. They had enough new mechanics with Mario's cape. And it it just, what can we say about Super Mario World that most people don't know?
neocharge: It's a masterpiece.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It is a masterpiece. It is.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I i am i am curious though, Bob, do you prefer Yoshi's Island over Super Mario World?
Leon Lionheartly: No, no, I 100% prefer Mario World.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: i i I actively, well, subconsciously and actively whistle the Super Mario ah first level ah not even music without even realizing it because it's ingrained in my memory that much.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure. No, there there was a guy I went to college with who always surprised me because his favorite was Yoshi's Island.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I'm not crapping on Yoshi's Island. It's great. But he was the odd man out. And honestly, I couldn't even tell you what his reasonings were because in my mind, I was just like, you're full of shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): look Just compared to comparing the two. But they're both very good. And I i just thought Super Mario World was incredibly...
Leon Lionheartly: I
neocharge: Subjective, man. It's subjective, maybe.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, ah Yoshi's Island was very unique and very good.
neocharge: Yeah. Maybe it hits him differently. Maybe it it hits, you know, maybe he has a special connection to it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: and
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he he does.
neocharge: Yeah. yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I asked him all the questions that we were all thinking. I was like, well, what was that the first one you played? Was it the first game you ever were able to finish?
neocharge: Right, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was it, yeah I had all of those questions and all of the answers were no, no, no.
neocharge: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, well, then you're just wrong.
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): This was, this is a different time.
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah, I, I'm glad we got to talk about both of them though.
neocharge: Dang.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Super Mario world was one of the best 16 bit games ever made period.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: oh Mario World is peak, Mario! Peak!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
neocharge: It's funny, Bob, because i didn't have it on my list because I knew it was going to be on your list.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
neocharge: But it sounds like you didn't have it on your list because you knew it was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah and
neocharge: It's definitely top 10 for me for sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I thought it was on one of your lists, so I didn't i had it in an honorable, not honorable mention, but like if nobody talks about this, I have to yell at these boys.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Like, I mean, yeah, I knew.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's really That's what one of my categories is.
neocharge: oh yeah.
neocharge: Right. I think Bob and I canceled each other out, it sounds like.
Leon Lionheartly: Mm-hmm.
neocharge: But yeah, no, I knew you were going to take that, so that wasn't on my list, for sure. so But yeah, really good choice. ah Just, yeah, peak 2D side-scrolling Mario.
neocharge: They haven't hit that ah since, I don't think, honestly, when it comes to two d
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They got real, yeah, I was going to say, they got real close with Galaxy and and Wonder then, of course, going back to 2D.
neocharge: Wonder. Yeah, that's... Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But like the Mario evolution is what makes it special. But man, you can't take away that side-scrolling magic.
Leon Lionheartly: huh
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they tried with, yeah, yeah, yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, no, to be clear, the 2D, my favorite. Galaxy is one of my favorites. So they haven't, yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it's amazing.
neocharge: I think Galaxy is better than Super Mario World, but they haven't hit, ah Wonder was real good, and they haven't had a lot of features.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
neocharge: Because I kind of put 2D Marios and 3D Marios in their own category, really.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Me too.
neocharge: They're they're two very different games. So, yeah, the 3D Marios have overcame Super Mario World, in my opinion. But I don't think we've seen a 2D Mario that has overcome Super Mario World. Super Mario World's peak.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, it is.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So good.
neocharge: Yeah. So, Caleb, top three.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What do you got next?
neocharge: three.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, we talked about Super Mario World since Bob didn't.
Leon Lionheartly: no that was it.
neocharge: Oh, that's going to be your three?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I wanted, yeah, i just, well, I'm not really going in a top.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I i think earlier when I said Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger would be up there.
neocharge: Oh, yeah, that's right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: That's right. That's right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um So i was I was just going to fill in the mixing pieces because I knew, um i felt like I knew at least seven of your top 10 for each of you.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And so far, I've been pretty close. We're going to see how these last ones fall in.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So you're up, buddy.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. ah So, because you said the Game Boy Advance was a 32-bit system, but I'm wondering if this game was 16-bit.
neocharge: I if it i mean it's on my list, but i yeah, no, okay, it's on my list.
Leon Lionheartly: Throw it out there.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, just go for it.
neocharge: it's Okay, it is 16-bit running on a 32-bit system. ah That's my number two. My number three, however, is like I got to give it to our girl, Samus.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There it is.
Leon Lionheartly: There it is.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's two of three.
neocharge: Super much.
Leon Lionheartly: There it is.
neocharge: fairness Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you have two of three.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Yeah, three. Yeah. So it's the... Yeah, it's up there. It's got to be up there, dude. Super Metroid is one of my favorite Metroid games when it comes to... like I mean, Fusion was great.
neocharge: Dread was great. But Super Metroid, the jump we saw from Metroid to Super Metroid was just fucking huge, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
neocharge: um And... dude it's... It... the The breadth of the game, it was it was way more technically advanced.
neocharge: ah We got to see a lot of our cool villains that we saw in 8-bit, in beautiful, gorgeous 16-bit Ridley, Kraid, and of course that that ending. i don't I still don't want to spoil the ending for Super Metroid.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, that's still one it is.
neocharge: Yeah, it's it's it's an iconic ending, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it is
neocharge: Yeah. ah So the the story, I think Super Metroid really put Metroid on the map. Metroid 1, not a great game. It's really fucking hard.
neocharge: And it's not a great game, but Super Metroid, that's when Metroid really started hitting its stride.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: And yeah. I had to i had to put our girl Samus on the list, and she was very, very high up. ah Super Metroid is like top three favorite Metroids for me.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It's one of the greats. ah And Dread recently came out that goes back to the two d um style and And Super Metroid is technically Metroid 2.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: And then we have Metroid 3. ah And then Metroid 4. four Metroid 3. but No, that's Super Metroid. Sorry. Super Metroid is Metroid 3.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah There was one and two on the and NES, right?
neocharge: Metroid 1 and Metroid 2. Yeah, Metroid 1, NES, Metroid 2, Samus Returns, NES, Metroid 3, Super Metroid, Metroid 4, Metroid Fusion on the GBA, Metroid 5, Metroid Dread on the Switch.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
neocharge: So, yes, sorry, Super Metroid's Metroid 3. And we just saw a huge jump from to 16-bit GBA. Yeah, Super Metroid is usually top three, if not the best Metroid for a lot of Metroid fans.
neocharge: And I loved it. Recently watched it played. Haven't played it since I originally played it on SNES. I need to go back and play it. I kind of hope they remake it.
neocharge: That'd be pretty awesome. But yeah, Super Metroid. Got gotta to give it to our girl, Samus.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i want I want one of your listeners to tell us how many times you just said Metroid in the last four minutes.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because I think it was a lot. I mean, I'm not making fun of you.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just was like, man, that's a lot of Metroids.
neocharge: Metro.
Leon Lionheartly: It's okay.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it's a great...
neocharge: Oh, I listed, I listed them all off.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, but I will say I am curious is because you said it's in your top favorite Metroids.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you do the same thing with those that you do with Mario where the side scrollers versus the 3D or FPSs? Do you separate them in your mind or or not? because Because it's really hard for me to choose between Metroid Prime 1 and Super Metroid is my favorite.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's That's such a tough call for me.
neocharge: to
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I can't do it.
neocharge: So one, Prime is my favorite Metroid. And yeah, it's it's really, it's you got to keep them separate. if I mean, two d probably Super Metroid or Metroid Fusion.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: I really like both. You still haven't played Dread, though, have you?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know Dread's the one I haven't played because I've played Other M.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I've played all of them except Dread. um I'm actually...
neocharge: Dread's so good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so they We talked a little bit earlier about Nintendo getting rid of their voucher system. um I think it's going to be done in January of 2026. And I was thinking I was going to get it physical, but I might just...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): get a voucher and do one of the, the old, I still need to get echoes of wisdom. I actually haven't played it yet because I, I was waiting.
neocharge: oh Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And now that I know it runs really well, I'm absolutely going to get it. But I thought, okay, if I do that, I could get dread, save some money.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I could play it on my switch too. When I'm going to Los Angeles and when I'm going to Myrtle beach and stuff.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I thought, okay, maybe I will do that.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But I,
neocharge: And dude, Dread ran beautifully on Switch, the original Switch. I played it on launch. It was my game of the year that year, 2021, believe.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. yeah I'm actually glad I haven't played it because I don't want it to maybe replace my favorite Metroid.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't want to do that to to Super Metroid.
neocharge: ah What is your favorite? Is Super Metroid your favorite?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's a toss-up between Metroid Prime 1 and Super Metroid.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I can't decide.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it just
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They're different enough. I do think Prime probably holds up...
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah better mechanically for that feeling of exploration. Not that Super Metroid isn't magical in its own right, but again, you're getting to the 3D versus the 2D and it's such it just depends on what mood I'm in. If I'm in the mood for something that's 3D and visually stunning in that way, I'm going to go with Prime all day long.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But if I want a 2D beautiful art, I'm going to pick metric Super Metroid. So yeah, I can't decide between those two.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's really difficult. What about you, Bob?
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: And we real quick correction. if I think I said super or Metroid 2 Samus Returns was on any NES. Incorrect. It was on the Game Boy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's Game Boy. Game Boy. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Game Boy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think I said NES and you just went with it because I was wrong.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, it's Game Boy.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're correct. Yeah.
neocharge: ah Yes, Game Boy.
Leon Lionheartly: I...
neocharge: Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: i So Super Metroid, 100%. There's a reason. And because of our conversations, I just realized I know what your top three are, and I'm glad I chose what I chose because I'm purposely avoiding them.
Leon Lionheartly: So thank you.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: The good old Shine Spark, too.
Leon Lionheartly: Super Metroid is amazing. um Caleb, I can tell you this much. Play Metroid Dread. If you're in the mood for...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I know.
neocharge: Oh, my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know.
Leon Lionheartly: if you're I can imagine Matt's already told you, but if I had my gumption, and this is coming from somebody...
neocharge: Dude.
Leon Lionheartly: I like Metroid, but I'm not what I would call a Metroid fanboy by any imagination. I appreciate what they've done.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I think Metroid Dread is better from a fundamental standpoint than Super Metroid. um I love Super Metroid.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, wow.
Leon Lionheartly: I think there's a lot of good ah good things about it. But everything that's good about it, the design team went back to Dread and said, hey, how can we bring this forward into the current into the current ah modern era?
Leon Lionheartly: And when they do that, you're fundamentally making a better product.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Awesome. um the only reason i missed it
neocharge: i Yeah, I would probably agree.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The only reason I missed it at the time was I was way too busy, and I missed like four major titles when it came out.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it was one of those that I regretted. the all i mean, i regretted all of them that I missed, and I have played two of those four, so I need to do Dread and the other...
Leon Lionheartly: All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, no, I'm glad to hear that it still holds up in your mind's eye because if it's even if it's not as good as Super Metroid, if it made it close to that, that's worth playing because it yeah, good.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: All right. ae
neocharge: Oh, it does.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah. Cool.
Leon Lionheartly: I love Superman, Metroid.
neocharge: Bob.
Leon Lionheartly: all right.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So you probably know these two, Caleb. You probably know these two, Matt. Listeners, you probably know these two. All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I left them off for you to say.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm going to beat these
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I've just been avoiding them.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm going to beat these games into the ground because if you still haven't played these games, you need to go play them.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: all right ah and i'm Alex, I'm sort of still mad that you stole my ah soundtrack for this. um number Number two is going to be Mega Man X, the superior version of Mega Man.
Leon Lionheartly: The soundtrack, the level design. um I can tell you which order I still do the bosses in and why I do them and what I do them in. um What can I say about this game that I haven't said on this podcast before?
Leon Lionheartly: um Not much.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you start with Joe Penguin?
Leon Lionheartly: Other than just...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I need to know.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's that's the correct answer.
Leon Lionheartly: Chill Penguin.
Leon Lionheartly: All right. So then who's number two?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah the The elephant, or no, no, who is number two for me?
neocharge: Oh, the ground level?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): man Well, because I've played it recently and I've switched it up on purpose because I always did this i always did the same order every single time. And I decided to Oh, that's what I did last time. i didn't go in the right order at all because I wanted to beat everybody without special weapons.
neocharge: Oh my god.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I, yeah, the last time I, I don't even remember, ah but it was at flame mammoth.
neocharge: Flame Mammoth.
Leon Lionheartly: I've done that run.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was that, that his name?
Leon Lionheartly: ah you
neocharge: blame man
Leon Lionheartly: He's one of them. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Or am I thinking of this?
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Maybe I want spark mandrill.
Leon Lionheartly: There you go.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's I'm.
Leon Lionheartly: That's the one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Spark Mandrill because you permanently stun him ah with the ah with the iceb with the ice beam.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: nice
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Breaks. the Yeah. Yeah. That's what it was.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: ah yeah All I can tell you, people, if you haven't played this game... ah Go play it. It's just like any other Mega Man game. You fight the bosses, then you do a gauntlet run.
Leon Lionheartly: Each boss is weak to another one, um another boss. What really stood this apart from the traditional Mega Man games is because you had the L and R buttons that came with the SNES, which means you could swap your...
Leon Lionheartly: your special weapons on the fly without having to do the presses menu, go into the menu, so select the weapon. um It kept, and when when you're talking about a 2D side-scrolling shooter, that actually keeping that action up was important.
Leon Lionheartly: um And that's what allowed you to do that. um Just know if you go to play this game, it sounds really easy when you figure out all the boss secrets and like which order you should do them in or who's weak to who.
Leon Lionheartly: And then you go and you fight Sigma. um Good luck, fucker. present
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah Unless you know the secret to beating him. And I'm not going to spoil it. So ah Mega Man X will always be my number two. There's a reason I have a complete in-box at home.
neocharge: Oh,
Leon Lionheartly: ah I love this fucking game with all of my heart.
neocharge: yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm so thrilled because I wrote it down and I was like, I know that Bob's going to talk about it, but if he for some reason doesn't,
neocharge: Magfest theme.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I will be very surprised. So I'm going to jot it down just to make sure that it's discussed. But Mega Man X is, is, uh, that's, that's, I think I'm pretty sure that's my favorite Mega Man game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's between that Mega Man two always has been, ah but X is just so good.
neocharge: such a jump.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
neocharge: it was such a jump, you know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): very special, just special.
neocharge: All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And you guys, you talked about it, like you said, in great detail and on your, um, soundtrack score episode, I was really glad that Alex talked about, uh, Mega Man two as well, that he, that he compared the two.
neocharge: quiet
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cause I, I tend to try to have a rule not to talk about more than one in an IP, p unless it's really, really, really important, but they're so different. The, the super Nintendo and the regular Nintendo games, uh,
Leon Lionheartly: yes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And even even the PS1 era and the eventual PS2 era, which we sometimes don't talk about but but with Mega Man X games. oh But yeah, they're they're very unique for sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. Maybe I need to do that for you guys. ah Maybe we'll do that as another stream. Because i i can I can do X like with my back just in a couple hours.
neocharge: That'd be cool.
Leon Lionheartly: So, anyways.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Did you...
neocharge: I'll comment, watch, and you can just speed run it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I did have a question for you because I, how did you pronounce, I don't want to pronounce, well, you'll just tell me if, if you pronounce it the same way, the boss, uh, Boomer Quanger.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Is that how you pronounced his name when you first saw it?
Leon Lionheartly: No. Boomer Kawang.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Boomer Quang. Okay. Cause I, when I was a kid, I pronounced it Boomer Quanger. Like, I don't know why, i don't know why I just always did.
Leon Lionheartly: I could see that.
neocharge: It sounds like a slur.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It does. So I, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah You know...
neocharge: It's this fucking boomer quanger over here.
Leon Lionheartly: I guess you're you're right. As a kid, I could see that, but I'm also a bit of an idiot. So for me, I would have just shortened it and been like, it's Boomer Co-Wang. ah But I see where you're going with that. Now that I'm thinking about it I'm like, he's right, Co-Wang.
Leon Lionheartly: um I still don't know how to say it properly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't either. That's why I figured maybe you would because I've never i've never known.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and i When I've gotten older and I've thought about things going from Japanese to English, you said it earlier, localization was the hell of a thing. I miss those days of localization being a little jank.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like one of my favorites and not to go back on ah the Final Fantasy train, but almost anybody who's anybody that knows Final Fantasy knows you Spoonie Bard is is one of the lines and in four that Tella when he's yelling at at Edward.
Leon Lionheartly: yes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And it stayed because it was so perfectly stupid popular. It's in the pixel remasters and they tried to clean up some of the dialogue in the pixel remasters and the newer ah remakes and iterations of four, but they kept you Spoonie Bard because it was just iconic and kind of silly.
Leon Lionheartly: I...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Those are the localization.
neocharge: Interesting.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I think about how names are pronounced and I never...
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like I couldn't figure out what Boomer Quanger was supposed to be in Japanese, and I've never wanted to look it up because it's almost like that mystery box that I don't want to open. Schrodinger's Quanger.
neocharge: interesting
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know.
Leon Lionheartly: i so Same here. And I'm trying to think back because there's this ah series, a video series I watched that talked about the timeline. um And I don't remember how he pronounced it. But ah before I move on from this, this is that one last thing.
Leon Lionheartly: Anybody that's curious about Mega Man lore, particularly you there, Caleb. um I think it's the Black Mastodon, Black Mastodoshi. um he He's been doing Honest History.
Leon Lionheartly: um He's a little bit of a newer guy in the YouTube space, um but he has done the original Mega Man, Mega Man Mega Man Z, the XZ series.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): okay
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): okay
Leon Lionheartly: and he's done legend he's done Legends as full like history and story, i highly recommend you go check it out.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It's amazing because you get so much lore out of it, and i'm going to have to go back now and see how he pronounces the name because it's it's going to bother the fuck out of me.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, you'll have to let me know.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry that I did that to you.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right. Well, I guess I'm up. So I will. I'm going just I'm going to take this one because I do believe it was originally in 16 bit. The ones that everybody played, probably not.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um Originally released on Sega CD. I thought you would have it, Bob.
Leon Lionheartly: I should have known.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But now that I know we're up there that you don't have this Sega CD 1992 in Japan, 1993 in the United States. And that would be Lunar, the Silver Star. which of course became Silver Star Story Complete.
neocharge: Ah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah sha know
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then eventually we we got the new newer ones remade or re-released again. i call them remakes because they got a different voice cast. um I will admit i did not play the Sega CD version first.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I did play the PlayStation version first. And then when I realized, because I was like, why is this called Silver Star Story Complete? i Where was the other one? The incomplete version. So I went down this rabbit hole and I actually did have access to a Sega CD.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and got a copy of the Silver Star, I will tell players, listeners, gamers, Silver Star Story Complete for the PlayStation is the best version of the game, period.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It just is. ah The Sega CD one was special because it was first. it was It had the full motion videos and it had some of the voice stuff, but it was a lot uglier.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was much uglier of a game. And I think that was because it was stuck on the 16-bit, even though it was on a ah CD platform. I think it was like, I would bet money that it was 16-bit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I probably should have looked it up earlier, but I figured that you would know, Bob, it because I thought it was going to be on your list. oh and And same with Eternal Blue, the second one. But ah that is one of those special RPGs that I have to give it to the 16-bit because that was the one that came out first.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If we were, we could talk about it. If I, if we do an episode 32 and you invite me back, I will probably honorable mention because it's not the first and it's, it's a remake, but I mean, Lunar Lunar is awesome.
neocharge: Yeah, of course.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): the The music was great. It was cheesy, goofy dialogue.
neocharge: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You could tell they had fun with it when they were making the game. And eventually when working designs redid it like that, just peak. So yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It's beautiful. That's not the obscure RPG, so I'll probably hit it up when I come around to my top one, because I guarantee you, Matt doesn't have it.
neocharge: Awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: Interesting.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Look forward to it.
neocharge: Huh. I got the Lunar collection, so I'm excited to finally play it at some point.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, good.
neocharge: Yeah, I got the physical version that Amazon had, like, limited, I guess.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So, yeah, they were like, oh, this won't be limited.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good for you.
neocharge: And, yeah, it's fucking limited. and they They're not printing anymore, I don't think.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i still... I have Lunar 1 and 2 Silver Star Story Complete and Eternal Blue on the PS1 inbox.
neocharge: Hell, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's it's like like new. I mean, I played it, so the disc has the laser scratches, but beyond that, it's it's almost in pristine shape, both of them.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, oh
neocharge: Dude.
neocharge: That's awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah, those are loved those games.
neocharge: That's beautiful.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So what what's thank you.
neocharge: That's a good pick.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): what's What's next up for you, buddy?
neocharge: So you have two on the list that you think going to say? Two more or one more?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No. So I thought that you were going to say Super Castlevania a little earlier on your list. Not because I know you love Castlevania.
neocharge: OK.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'll just say for me, Super Castlevania was not my favorite. it's It's probably about halfway in all the Castlevanias.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So for me, if I was making a ah top 10 list and Castlevania was on there, probably wouldn't be, but it would be like a seven or eight for me.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I thought yours might be five or six.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So when we got to four, yeah.
neocharge: The handhelds are better.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When we got to four for you, I was like, where the hell is Castlevania? But Castlevania, Super Metroid. And then ah this, if it's not one or two for you, then I'm jumping out of a window.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You have to say it because it's, it's,
neocharge: okay
Leon Lionheartly: right
neocharge: it's probably not It's probably number one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's top three It's top three for me. so i but i'm i'm Okay.
neocharge: Yeah, it's it's number one. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, you're up next.
neocharge: um But my number two my number two is on a 30-bit, 2-bit system, and it's a 16-bit game, and it's from one of my favorite IPs of all time.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so Okay.
neocharge: It's Pokemon.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, there it is
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but which So which which one?
Leon Lionheartly: Which...
neocharge: Emerald.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Ah, see, caleb's take it Caleb's taking the exact questions I had.
neocharge: Emerald.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry.
Leon Lionheartly: Isn't Emerald the hardest one to like find on the market?
neocharge: Yep.
neocharge: ah it's one of, yeah, I think Complete in Box is like $900 right now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's bummer.
neocharge: It's crazy. I used to have it. I used to have it. I sold it m Probably four years ago for like 200 or something like that. I regret it so much.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's a boommer
neocharge: Emerald's... I know, I know. Emerald's the third entry of the third gen. It started with Ruby and Sapphire. And man, coming off the heels of Gold and Silver, going into the 16-bit age, ah the sprites for the Pokemon look so much better. The color depth was awesome. We're in the Hoenn region.
neocharge: ah The legendaries are
Leon Lionheartly: okay
neocharge: Kyogre and Groudon. it One was like the the owner of the sea and the other one was the owner of the land. And when they clashed, they created the earth, the the pokey earth.
neocharge: ah And then the so one that i like rains over them lives in the ozone layer and creates the weather. And it's one of my favorite Pokemon, probably top five. And that's Rayquaza.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thank you.
neocharge: It's the green dragon looking one. And that's the title. Uh, Pokemon. ah it's it's on the It's the title art. So Emerald just made Ruby and Sapphire so much better. We got the the Battle Tower.
neocharge: We got a whole new island. And what can I say? Our starters were Torchic, Mudkip, and Trico. ah that That was Gen 3.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So who was your starter?
neocharge: so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): who Like the first one you played that gen, who was your first starter?
neocharge: And Ruby?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Torchic.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i was I was the Leaf one.
neocharge: Torchic. Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I remember I was the Leaf.
neocharge: Trico.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. i Because everybody else, it went back, we talked about this a little before on the OG where everybody wanted Charmander. Everybody wanted Charmander. And then everybody else had Squirtle.
neocharge: Right. Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, what the hell is this Bulbasaur-ass thing?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, I didn't know. So I picked the leaf, I picked the green, and i I just did it again when I played the next two times, my starter, because I figured everybody else would go with Fire or Water again.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, no, I'm going to go Leaf. And yeah, but I wanted all three of them.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's what was great about the Pokemon games.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All the starters were so unique and sought after. Okay.
neocharge: So in Emerald, I did get all three of them and because i had i had the Game Boy Advance and then I had the Game Boy Advance SP and I had a link cable and you would go in you would go through, you would pick your starter, you would get to a trade point, trade it, wipe your game, do it all over again.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It took like six hours, but then you'd go through the entire game with all three starters.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Awesome.
neocharge: right which is really cool so uh yeah torchic and then blaziken blaziken is the final evolution super cool fire fighting i usually go with the fire starter so but trico was cool it's just an incredible generation it's one of my favorite generations in pokemon you got metagross you got flygon
Leon Lionheartly: well
neocharge: You got Rayquaza, like I said, ah just some really awesome, cool, unique designs. And they had more to play with in the 16-bit era.
neocharge: So, yeah, Pokemon Emerald was in my top 10 games of all time. So it has to be on this one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah for sure yeah that's a that's a great choice i if if your top is not what it is i i'm going to be very upset with myself i feel like i'm a terrible friend if if i if i miss this out
neocharge: so And you knew my top 10. Yeah.
neocharge: yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Right. Right.
Leon Lionheartly: and I'd say mirror.
neocharge: All right, Bob.
Leon Lionheartly: I purposely avoided ah adding this one, your top one to my list because of that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: I think I got this.
neocharge: Yeah. wow
Leon Lionheartly: So before I get into my last two, I'm going to do this as a like a cool watch watch how I tie this together. um Two quick honorable mentions. um Came out on the Game Boy Advance.
Leon Lionheartly: I thought Caleb was going to include it, but he didn't. um I think it segues it really good into my number two. um And that's the Mega Man Battle Network series.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I wrote it for later on, but yeah, good.
Leon Lionheartly: It is the
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wow.
Leon Lionheartly: okay it is the Pokemon and the but of the Mega Man series um is the nice way to put it. um If you haven't played it, there are multiple versions. In fact, i have I don't have the boxes and stuff, but I have all the loose cartridges for everything all the way through Star Force.
Leon Lionheartly: Every edition.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wow.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Damn, son. That's awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Good for you.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, that's how much... Thank you. That's how much I love those games. um And then the other one is... I said obscure, but it's not necessarily obscure by the the zeitgeist, but it is obscure in the number of sales, Caleb.
Leon Lionheartly: And I had a... Between Chrono Trigger and this one, i flipped a 50-50 coin and it came up bad, which is Earthbound. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's another one that I was going to mention if nobody else did. So, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh, it is a top tier in all seriousness, a top tier RPG for me out of the 16 bit era. The only reason I didn't select it is I didn't play that. I played Corona trigger because let's be honest, earth Brown at the time was a very niche game. It didn't sell a lot.
Leon Lionheartly: Um, it got caught on later, kind of like, I don't know other RPGs at the time, IE lunar. Um, but yeah,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: It is a worthwhile to go check out.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): sure
Leon Lionheartly: um Totally would would recommend, but those would also be on my list. um But and obviously, number one is my number one game of all time. What can I say about this game? It is one of the only games i truly believe in my heart of hearts is a 10 out of 10.
Leon Lionheartly: um and all across all of gaming you can nitpick a lot of games and I think a lot of games come really close like Claire and Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid um but this is one of the very few 10 out of 10 I can't find a fault with a game so that's Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars what can I say about this game I haven't said other than bring back fucking Geno already yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like know dude the man like no kidding what square owns the character it just sort of went to nowhere for a long time and when when they teased him and i think it was in super smash brothers uh right it was that where because we got him as a as a not as a playable character but i don't remember what they're called sprite or yeah and it's like really he's relegated to that gino deserves better
neocharge: God, I love Gino.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: He's an assist trophy in fucking Ultimate. oh not only but Oh! Not only that, he's an outfit for the Mii Fighters.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but that's what That was the other thing too, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Which I will say it pissed me off at first and then when I saw it I was like I kind of dig that quite a bit. Because it's neat.
Leon Lionheartly: can
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I do think he deserved to be in something else just because he's a neat character.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Everybody loved Geno. He's a glass cannon puppet creature thing.
Leon Lionheartly: Everybody...
neocharge: Such a glass cannon.
Leon Lionheartly: He's not in my main party, by the way, when I play that game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): either.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: i
Leon Lionheartly: But he's fun. And i I think people look at things like Geno and stuff, and they don't understand. The real beauty behind this game is they were able to um provide a emotion through music and through dialogue in a unique way.
Leon Lionheartly: And they could tell jokes. like in the eu original Like some of the Final Fantasy games that were only text-based um when you're doing dialogue, there might be a joke from the localization team, or there might be something that's supposed to be lighthearted, but you don't quite understand it at the time because it's just blah, blah, blah, blah. I think of most no ah famously um when, spoilers for a game that got remade and is 30 years old, um when Malo finds out that he's not actually a frog.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): the du
Leon Lionheartly: And in the everybody, yes, everybody comes in and goes, don um like it's supposed to be dramatic and serious, but it's lighthearted at the same time because everybody goes, well, no shit, you're not a frog.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah Everybody knew that.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he's just like dumb and surprised. It's fantastic.
Leon Lionheartly: ah that's what i that's what Those are the things that made that such a great RPG um um on this in the 16-bit era. um I'm hard-pressed to find another one that did it just as well like that.
Leon Lionheartly: But once again, Square, Nintendo, they got together, they had a baby, and that baby is beautiful. Kind of like Lou in Death Stranding.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, and the thing that actually impressed me the most,
Leon Lionheartly: It's not a spoiler. I'm i'm just but i'm just being silly, Matt.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): the the thing that it in Mario RPG, because square Square was always very ah funny back then.
neocharge: Oh, no, you're fine.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Back in those days, they had a very unique sense of humor in their Final Fantasy games and Chrono Trigger. The facial expressions that they could show you in the 16-bit graphic style was was surprising because you would...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you would see when somebody was excited, their eyebrows would go up. but and You could just see that like these little black things going up on the screen, ah but you knew that they were excited and it was it worked, right? Well, Nintendo, who was very um protective of their IP, let Square have a lot of fun with their characters.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mario, specifically, in Super Mario RPG, was one of the funniest characters, the silent protagonist, and he would recap events in the game that were just ridiculous.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He would spin around and like turn into something else.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and And it would just make you laugh whether you were seven years old or 17 years old.
Leon Lionheartly: sure
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was funny. It was just funny. And that was very cool of Nintendo and square to get together and allow that. So I've been actually meaning to tell you this because it's a legend of seven stars was one of my favorite games of all time too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was so excited for the remake. ah obviously played it. And when you had told Matt on the podcast about the Power Rangers and he didn't really know, I was like, oh my God, you need to you need to play this right now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because I used to play this actually in a gray van when I was traveling in Montana when my parents were working on a movie.
Leon Lionheartly: it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I had a 13-inch TV in that gray van that my my parents were using it for the film. And i would i was like, I just have one request. I need to bring my Super Nintendo with Mega Man X, A Link to the Past, and Super Mario RPG.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And my dad was like, as long as you you know pay attention when we're places you've never seen before, I don't care. So I played the shit out of that game. over and over and over again. and I remember the only real wall that I hit was the Power Rangers, the Axum Rangers fight, because they were fucking hard the first couple of times you tried them.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um Now they're a bit of a joke, but again, this was but how many years later and the game was made a little bit easier in the remake. So yeah, I'm glad that you had that because I left that in Mega Man X, I left for you.
Leon Lionheartly: It was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The one that Matt has not said yet and um Super Metroid, I left for him.
Leon Lionheartly: i i got to ask, since you mentioned the remake and we were talking about on our last episode, did you play with the remixed or the classical audio tunes?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I did play it with the remixed just because I wanted to hear how they did all the things. Um, I went back and forth for zones that I might revisit, but I did want to give them a chance.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I didn't hate the remix, but I do think it was a little weird not having the classic music. Sometimes it just felt a little wrong, but I was like, no, I want to experience what they did. I want to see how the, how the new, um,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): remastered score, I guess is how I would put it. And it's not bad. It's just, there's like a little bit more and I remember it being a little bit less.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So my nostalgia factor was like, Oh, okay.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Okay. yeah No, that's good. And I'll leave it up this. I still remember when if you get the princess's brooch and in all of that in the church fast enough, um it's a Bowser ah kissing Beetle.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: And i know when they realize it, they're like, ooh! And then you see Bowser's like tears just going down because he's crying because didn't get to kiss the princess. I'll leave it like that. Go play this game. it tells
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It's environmental storytelling to the to to a natural. So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it is just humorous.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It is. So I'm going to actually just skip and let Matt do number one so that we could talk about it. And then we could rapid fire some honorable mentions and then probably go to bed because I think some of us are a little tired. And yeah.
neocharge: Dude, EST sucks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Welcome to my world, motherfucker.
neocharge: It's like, yeah. Holy crap.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Oh my God. Yeah, we're going on 1 on EST.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Well, so you're up, buddy.
neocharge: So.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Give give us your number numero uno.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Lay it on us.
neocharge: My the my favorite 16-bit game. is Banjo-Kazooie Gruntilda's Revenge. ah This game is very nostalgic for me.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh my God. All right. I take it back. I'm going to ruin it for everyone.
neocharge: and Bro, of course, of course, it's from the my top favorite IP of all time. One of Bob's top favorite IPs of all time. Of course, it's a fucking link to the past.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And one of mine. Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: yes
neocharge: Yes. And what are yeah in one of your favorite top IPs of all time?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): My favorite Zelda of all time. So there you go.
neocharge: but The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past. What can I say? This was peak Zelda, honestly. ah So many dungeons. ah It was going from Zelda 2, or what?
neocharge: Zelda Link's Awakening, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): For the Game Boy. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i From the Game Boy, yes.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah. And just the kind more color depth, right? More pixels. ah Follows our boy Link, of course. You're you're saving Zelda. All the um goddesses are trapped in the crystals.
neocharge: Like, it's just incredible. And it was a ah ah lot of dungeons. And you go into the dark world. That was a huge twist, right? There's a ah whole other map.
neocharge: And you have this whole other, like, it was mind-blowing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, more than doubled the size of the game because you thought, oh, I have these three things I have to do.
neocharge: And then.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then you see this other world and you're like, wait, what?
neocharge: Right. a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's not just three more.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's It's like eight more or whatever.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you know it's
neocharge: Eight. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then there's like bonus shit you could find.
Leon Lionheartly: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's magic, pure magic.
neocharge: let see yeah Yes, it is. It is. And the music is, I mean, top notch. Some of the some of the best. ah It's got really cool, unique dungeons. ah all of the You get a ton of items, a ton of weapons, a ton of support items, and there's some really cool in-game that you can do or that you can get and do a lot of cool shit with.
neocharge: So, yeah, a lot of cool weapons, lot of cool puzzles. It's it's peak... 2d uh isometric zelda honestly in my opinion it's uh uh i i do like the oracle games but link to the past is like probably number two and oracle games were in my uh 8-bit they were i think in my top three so uh oh yeah yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): As they should be, because they were awesome.
neocharge: So I know we've we've all played this game. We all love this game. It's all of our, it's our top IP of all time. So what do you what do you guys have to say about it?
neocharge: i I fucking love this game, man. It's ah number one, number one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I can't count the amount of times, ah some other games on this, that what we've talked about so far, this follows true for them, it holds true for them as well, but I cannot count the amount of times that I have beaten this game, but played it from start to finish, whether it was just speed running and beating it with like 13 hearts or whatever the minimum was speed running to get everything.
neocharge: um
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I love this is my favorite Zelda of all time. I don't think it ever won't be my favorite Zelda of all time. I played the ever loving shit out of this game and it was just the perfect game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): storm of Zelda. I felt like an idiot when I couldn't, the very first time I played it, I thought you could, I thought you could get the pendants in whatever order you wanted.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I was obsessed with going north and I, you can't go north, but I just thought that I was dumb and bad at the game.
neocharge: Well.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I, I mean, I was, cause I kept trying to go north and didn't work. Uh, but I, cause I rented it two or three times and then I finally got fed up and I was like, i need to buy this game. And when I bought it, I finally forced myself to go the other direction. And I was like, Oh my God,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm an idiot. And then i and then I just fell in love with it even more. Cause it was, it was good. It wasn't too easy. It also wasn't too hard.
neocharge: No, it's tough, Zelda.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was ah the the, the perfect ah level of, of challenge that you could overcome the score. i like you said, it's Zelda. What can you say?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but but Everybody needs to know and respect the the music.
neocharge: Yeah, that title screen when the sword comes down.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, and the Triforce is sort of spinning and locks into place, and it's it's great.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: la
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i Yes. What about you, Bob? I mean, I know you have to at least like this game, right? Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah I fucking love this game. I think... there's a lot of cool stuff about this. So I'll keep those to the side. Um, I go look up some of the facts about this game.
Leon Lionheartly: You can look at anything about like upgrading your weapons. You know what i mean? Or items you with the on that's based off of a real fucking, uh, fairy tale.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh,
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's that's I didn't know that when I played, but I learned that later and I thought that was really cool.
Leon Lionheartly: Same here, and I was like, oh my gosh! um I will say, funny story for this game. I was at a buddy's house the other week, um and they had their youngest kid yeah um playing this game specifically.
Leon Lionheartly: And I remember, he's younger, keep that mind, he's still learning games, and he kept getting mad, But then he was pissing us off as parents because he was in the very first beginning and he couldn't escape and go to the, explore the map because he didn't have the sword. And we're like, you should probably go get the sword, but, or go towards the castle, like they say, and get, you might get something, buddy, but he refused. So he kept picking up every,
Leon Lionheartly: grass and then throwing it all the way up and we painfully watched him work his way up to the castle all the way to get in there finally get the sword it was like 30 minutes of watching just the most antagonizing thing in the world when you know the answer you can't say anything it I laugh now but at the time my i my like mike toes were starting to curl because I started getting so mad
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wow.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wow.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that would be That would be painful, for sure.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i
neocharge: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I feel you.
neocharge: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But some of that is kind of cool because you think maybe when this person finally got there and finally figured it out, it opened up this realization for them and it might have become one of their favorite games because they're like, wow, I didn't realize that it even went this far.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that's kind of what some of these games, well, all of them that we've mentioned ah so far in this era have done that, I think, better than any other generation.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i would You could make some solid arguments, but I do think that the 16-bit era just just spread the wonder and amazement of what video games could be so wide open.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): no matter what kind of game you liked, whether it was a fighter, whether it was sports, whether it was RPG, uh, I, the list goes on as far as game types. Uh, but the, the super Nintendo games like Zelda games, like Mega Man X, they were just very special.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You could revisit them over and over again. ah would you guys like me to just rapid fire the ones that I was seeing if they were going to be on your list? Uh, we don't have to necessarily talk about them in great detail, but,
neocharge: Rapid fire.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm okay with it, but I got to give you one that's not, I know it's not on your list, but I'm only calling this out because it's objectively a bad game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: But you mentioned what we we missed a genre, a puzzle. You ever heard of a little game called Zoop?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, i have I have. It was not on my list.
Leon Lionheartly: All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You are correct. It was not on my list, but I have heard of it.
Leon Lionheartly: All right. Let's see. What else did did you did you have on there?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay. Breath of Fire 2. Super Nintendo 1994 in Japan, 1995 in the US. That one I thought you might have, Bob, but it didn't.
neocharge: Yep. Yep. yeah and
Leon Lionheartly: It's great game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Streets of Rage 2 was probably, arguably, the best six Streets of Rage game ever. I mean, Streets of Rage 4 is my favorite, but it's not fair to compare it because it's just amazing. And it was made ah by one of the best old school team or teams that do new things in the old school style.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But that was Sega Genesis. I think it was 1992. ah Here's another one that was just special, not necessarily on a top list. It was just one of those. This game worked and I didn't know why was the Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): where you got different outfits.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like you could be a fireman who put fires out with his water. You could be like a, I called it a Peter Pan suit. You could mountain climb, which was really cool. And then he had um almost like an Aladdin oh turban thing where you could cast magic. And it was just, that game was way better than it ever had any business being.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Most people would yell at me and say, castle of illusion. Fuck that magical quest or Mickey mouse was better. um There's another one. Eternal champions. You guys ever play that?
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The other fighter that that didn't succeed because Mortal Kombat Street Fighter just dominated everything. Eternal Champions was really, really fun if you liked obscure stuff.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I've only got a few left. Tactics Ogre Let Us Cling Together. Most people now know it from Tactics Ogre Reborn. But Let Us Cling Together was the predecessor to Final Fantasy Tactics.
Leon Lionheartly: yes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's the game that made Final Fantasy Tactics possible. 16-bit Super Nintendo, 1995. um And then the last few, and I'm surprised that Matt didn't mention Chained Echoes, but I also don't know if it counts. I really, I don't know if it's 32-bit
neocharge: It doesn't count.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It looks like six.
neocharge: It's 32-bit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It is 32. Okay. So we'll talk about that in, in 16 episodes.
neocharge: Yeah. It would have been on the list for sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
neocharge: ah good Good call
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. ah The original star ocean one never released in America. But I mean, eventually it did when it became First Departure R.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But i had to I had to at least talk about it. And I knew that wasn't going to be on one of your lists, but I thought, why not? um It released in 1996. If you don't know Star Ocean, what are you doing?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Last bits here. i have one more honorable mention, which this was another one I wasn't sure if it counted because it came out newer and it might actually be 32 to look like 16.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): was a little hit on the Nintendo switch in 2017 called golf story. know if you guys ever played it, but that one, it's great. I, we won't talk about it that long. I just wanted your listeners to know, but,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): all of these games that we've listed so far have been, mean, they're important to us, right? we We talked about them for a lot longer than we ah probably planned to.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I tried my best to not just belabor everything, but, ah but yeah, you guys had a top 10 list and mine was more of a, I'm going fill in the blanks because I played everything.
neocharge: Yes, he sucked.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I played everything. So yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes, you did.
neocharge: love it's It's a very passionate a topic for us, and it's one of the golden ages of gaming, and it has you know all the pixel art games.
neocharge: We're so heavy into pixel art, right? So it's ah it's going to be a long cast, and I hope people stuck around for the ending.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It is... ah Yeah, EST, I am not used to it, man. We started...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Poor guy.
neocharge: Because what? It's like 11 o'clock there, Bob, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. 1110 for you in your mind.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i'm I'm sorry, man.
neocharge: And... No worries. No worries.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, we started a bit late and then in the beginning we we kind of got off on, I don't even remember what the hell we were talking about.
neocharge: i Yeah. um Right. Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you You know, your setup's different, so you had a few special guest situations and it just whatever.
neocharge: Oh, I love it.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah. I had to work on my setup and yeah. Yeah. So for sure.
Leon Lionheartly: No.
neocharge: Um, but dude, I had a blast.
Leon Lionheartly: That's...
neocharge: ah This was been super fun.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but Me too, gents.
neocharge: ah yeah. And i always love talking video games. I've drank two beers. Uh, um, Doesn't affect me that much down here.
neocharge: It's just the the time.
Leon Lionheartly: All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thank you.
neocharge: It's just a little it's it's like a little jet lag. Like EST is like different. so But yeah, I'm so glad that we we got to talk about these these games, the 16-bit era, ah like one of our faves for sure.
neocharge: And I'm glad we had you on as a guest again. it's been I always love to have you on.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): thank you
neocharge: ah you You bring so much to the cast and you bring ah another good perspective. So we really appreciate you being on here, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but i'm I'm flattered every time you ask and I'm glad to do it. i mean, this, this was, I, we could have talked about 16 bit games for 12 hours.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We know that.
Leon Lionheartly: oh
neocharge: Oh, easily.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it was really hard but to even keep it to this.
neocharge: Easily. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I didn't want to throw all 30 that I had at you guys, but I, I had to talk about it. I had, they had to at least be mentioned.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So.
Leon Lionheartly: i
neocharge: Absolutely.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Yeah, absolutely.
neocharge: Absolutely.
Leon Lionheartly: like There's a licensed game that I want to talk to you about afterwards because I'm like, hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: But, yeah. ah
neocharge: Cool.
Leon Lionheartly: what do you What do you guys, gentlemen what do you gentlemen, think? Should we get the hell out of here?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): matt Matt needs to go to a bed immediately.
neocharge: I think so.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wow.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, not not not ah to cut you off, but you sound pretty tired.
neocharge: Well, here here's the...
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: here Well, no, here's the thing. After it's done, the i have to process it. And the longer the cast is, the longer the processing. So I i do have to stay up like another hour, I think, for this processing.
neocharge: But we'll see. And it's for the love of the game. And I'm glad everyone has ah listened to episode 16. We loved doing it.
neocharge: It's a long one. 16-bit era was really... passionate ah for us. We're very passionate about it. And so, yeah, yeah. There's some, there's some post-processing stuff I still have to do as well.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He has to make me sound beautiful.
neocharge: But, uh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. All right.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: and Well, it's not edited.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: It's not edited. It's just, you know, the processing, merging all the tracks, it's all done, uh, automatically.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: So, but it still has to process and I do the description and then I get it ready.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
neocharge: So there's just a little bit of posts. We don't edit. Uh, and yeah so this has been episode 16. I hope everyone has loved it as much as we did.
neocharge: And, Yeah. Everyone have a great rest of your day, evening, night, whenever the fuck you're listening to this.
Leon Lionheartly: Peace.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thanks again, guys. I appreciate it.
