Hear all about (deep breath) Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (exhale) and the A-Z of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, with a side of Nintendo news and Halloween in Japan.

Time — Topic Discussed

00:47 – Nicknames
17:30 – DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake
25:31 – Pokémon Legends: Z-A
35:00 – News: Nintendo Switch 2 sales, Animal Crossing updates, Halo on PlayStation, and more!

1UP Show memories, Hollow Knight 2, Little Nightmares 3, Ninja Gaiden 4, FIIIIIVE GOLD-EN! RINGS!! Plus more FFT, RIP Itagaki-san, and a buncha news.

Time — Topic Discussed

00:00 – Nicknames
09:32 – Hollow Knight: Silksong
17:21 – Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
20:59 – Little Nightmares 3
26:25 – Ninja Gaiden 4
30:00 – News: Remembering Itagaki-san, The 1UP Show's 20th anniversary, and more!

Summer is the time for love, Takarazuka, and Death Stranding 2 early access. Plus the latest Switch 2 impressions, Japan life updates, and thoughts on the DK Direct.

00:58 – Nicknames
12:36 – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
27:30 – Grandia
33:54 – Mario Kart World
54:09 – News: Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, Marathon delayed, and more!

Hold onto your apricorns, because this week we're talking about everyone's favorite monsters: Banjo and Kazooie! No, just kidding. There's a new Pokémon game, or so we hear, plus news, an FF14 check-in, Gabe's mad dash through the Souls series, and more!

(Btw folks who regularly listen via Spotify -- we don't feel good about being offered on the service atm so we've decided to stop posting there for now. Apologies for the inconvenience but, well yeah. Please listen elsewhere for the time being.)

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:32 – Nicknames
12:58 – Pokémon Legends: Arceus
51:00 – Pokémon Gold and Silver
57:08 – Dark Souls
01:14:20 – Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
01:21:39 – Banjo-Kazooie
01:34:45 – News: Nintendo Switch Sales, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 Rumors, and more!

Mostly news, and okay, yes, we do talk about Microsoft buying Activision, but only in the sense of who we plan to main in the inevitable upcoming Super Smash Dude Bros. IP crossover franchise. Otherwise: PSVR 2, AGDQ, and the Nintendo hotel.

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:38 – Nicknames
18:02 – OCTOPATH TRAVELER
32:01 – News: Playstation VR2, E3's Online Only Announcement, Microsoft & Activision, and more!
1:19:06 – ***RESIDENT EVIL: VILLAGE SPOILERS***
1:23:01 – ***END RESIDENT EVIL: VILLAGE SPOILERS***

Fan favorite Shane Bettenhausen stops by to chat classic games / shoot-them-ups, Steam Deck, and TV Asahi's top 100 game list, with a hat tip to 2021 faves and what we're excited about in 2022.

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:09 - Nicknames
19:51 - G.Darius HD, Cotton 100% + Panorama Cotton, and Nemesis '90 Kai
25:54 - Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (and general Castlevania talk)
41:04 - Steam Deck impressions
47:34 - Final Fantasy V
56:21 - John's old-school Sega adventures
1:13:05 - Zelda Game & Watch
1:16:41 - ***SPOILERS*** Unpacking
1:24:44 - Untitled Goose Game
1:32:00 - TV Asahi's Top 100 Games
1:48:49- 2021 GOTY thoughts
1:54:11- 2022's most wanted

Can't travel home this year? Let us be your slightly drunk and very opinionated family as we blather on about old Sega games, The Game Awards, and those g-d politicians who are RUINING THIS COUNTRY!

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:19 – Nicknames
20:42 – John's Stuff
34:15 – Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
51:37 – The Game Awards Recap
01:16:12 – Final Fantasy VI delay, Analogue Pocket orders, fond memories, and more!

17-Bit jefe Jake Kazdal rejoins the party to discuss his new VR title Song In The Smoke, as well hot new releases like Dark Souls and Rez. Content warning: contains Final Fantasy XIV talk.

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:43 – Nicknames
20:28 – Song in the Smoke
28:52 – Dark Souls
47:23 – Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
1:07:35 – Dragon Quest Keshi Keshi
1:22:02 – Rez's Anniversary

The action picks up moments after last season's cliffhanger ending. Gabe is still on the run from the fuzz -- will he ever be able to show his face in our Zoom window again? Ponder this and more as we talk Nintendo remakes, convenience store sandwiches, VGA categories, and more!

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:13 – Nicknames
17:37 – Mario Party Superstars
23:32 – Animal Crossing
31:32 – Dragon Quest X & Final Fantasy XIV
39:29 – News: The Game Awards nominees, Xbox's 20th Anniversary, and more!
1:15:04 – Listener Q&A

We know, we don't look a day over #247! Pull up a chair and listen to these ol' timers recount (and forget) tales from our past, checking in on Shin Megami Tensei V, Pikmin Bloom, and the new Animal Crossing update along the way.

Time – Topic Discussed:

02:25 – Nicknames
13:33 – Shin Megami Tensei V
34:32 – Dark Souls Remastered
40:09 – SEGA Classics: Phantasy Star 2 and Shining Force
46:38 – Pikmin Bloom
51:37 – Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update
59:50 – News: Osaka's getting a Nintendo Store, Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3 temporarily pulled from digital stores, Valve's Steam Deck gets delayed, and more!
01:11:15 – We Reflect on 300 Episodes of 8-4 Play

We dive deep on RE4 in VR for the Quest with the help of our resident, evil Resident-Evil expert Alex Aniel, and chat Dungeon Encounters, more Super Nintendo World, and some news.

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:48 – Nicknames
06:17 – Nintendo 64 on Switch
23:56 – Resident Evil 4: VR
53:42 – Metroid: Dread
1:08:18 – Dungeon Encounters
1:09:40 – News: Playstation's State of Play, Animal Crossing Direct, Elden Ring delay and more!

This week, we all curl up into very tight balls and barge into Jerry's apartment to talk about nothing. Just kidding! We actually talk about Metroid Dread and big TVs.

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:06 – Nicknames
15:38 – Metroid Dread
54:51 – Kena: Bridge of Spirits
1:00:16 – News: Kingdom Hearts coming to Switch, Universal Studios Japan and Pokémon join forces, and more!

Autumn is in the air, even if a classic Tokyo Game Show episode is not. Join us as we talk last judgments on Lost Judgment, get cute with Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and review the latest Nintendo Direct. Hey, how bout that Mario movie?

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:58 – Nicknames
22:10 – Lost Judgment
28:42 – Kena: Bridge of Spirits
42:38 – Pokémon UNITE
45:46 – News: Nintendo Direct Recap, Tokyo Game Show has begun, 4K Switch Rumors Return, and more!

One week and three and a half million units later, tune in to hear the crew's first hands-on impressions of Switch 2 and all the excitement surrounding the launch in Japan, plus the latest news out of Summer Game Fest, State of Play, the Xbox Games Showcase, and more!

Time — Topic Discussed

00:52 – Nicknames
05:38 – Nintendo Switch 2
13:04 – Mario Kart World
27:20 – Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
34:28.– The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
46:25 – News: Splatoon Raiders announced, Switch 2 sales, Summer Game Fest, and more!

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:56 – Nicknames
22:04 – Bloodborne
28:10 – Lost Judgment
43:39 – Bugsnax
54:28 – Pokémon Unite
57:20 – Genshin Impact
1:00:29 – News: PlayStation Showcase, the GameCube turns 20, PS5 & Nintendo Switch Updates, and more!

Friend of the show Liam Edwards joins to talk his newly-announced golf-like, Cursed to Golf, plus BitSummit, indie life in Japan, No More Heroes 3, Guilty Gear Strive, and a healthy shake for dinner.

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:12 – Nicknames
15:27 – Bitsummit Talk
17:34 – Cursed to Golf
46:31 – Sol Cresta impressions
54:58 – No More Heroes 3
1:02:45 – Guilty Gear Strive
1:09:00 – Pokémon Unite

Look: if you aren't Monster-Hunter-positive or at least MH-curious, might wanna just skip this ep. Otherwise, enjoy as GaijinHunter Adam Evanko joins to chat about the new Netflix special, Rise and MH Stories 2, what's next for the series, and (of course) Cheetos vs. Potato straws.

This week we debate the strengths and weaknesses of the two big conbini chains in Japan. Who makes the best pasta? The best fried chicken in an envelope? The best onigiri? Listen to find out! Oh, we also talk about video games.

Time – Topic Discussed:

02:01 – Nicknames
21:09 – Pokémon Unite
40:42 – Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
48:41 – Demon's Souls
53:25 – Apex Legends
1:00:52 – Terranigma
1:03:38 – Listener Questions & Answers

Rainy season is out, Skyward Sword HD is in, Gabe is...all over the place, and it's a four-day weekend in Japan?! Join the holiday celebration as we answer listener questions and talk about Zelda, Steam Deck, crazy auctions, and more!

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:01 – Nicknames
15:45 – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
31:51 – News: The Steam Deck, Mario & Zelda Auctions, and more!
01:02:49 – Listener Questions & Answers

Ex game-journo and noted theme park connoisseur Michael Donahoe joins us for a deep dive into what he considers the best park on the planet (!): Super Nintendo World.

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:09 – Nicknames
23:34 – Streets of Rage 4
34:22 – Chicory
45:01 – Super Nintendo World Report
01:15:59 – News: The Nintendo Switch OLED, Sony's Acquisitions, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, and more!

The hype train has left with a resounding choo-choo! In its wake, we unpack this year's E3 news and share thoughts on Stranger of Paradise, FF7R Intergrade, 25 years of N64, and more!

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:40 – Nicknames
11:17 – Apex Legends
19:47 – Stranger in Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
35:20 – Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade
52:07 - Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
54:28 – Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
1:05:37 – News: E3 Recap; Sonic's 30th Anniversary, Nintendo 64's Anniversary, and more!

E3 is (sorta) back, which means it's time to buckle up for another round of baseless speculation, ridiculous predictions, and general mayhem as we once again board the #E3HYPETRAIN!

Time – Topic Discussed:

25:30 – News: Nintendo, Uncharted 4 on PC, E3's Award show, and more!
34:17 – Nintendo E3 Speculation
57:14 – More News: The EGRETII mini, Yuji Naka's retirement (?), The Playdate, and more!
01:26:35 – Capcom E3 Speculation
01:33:08 – Microsoft & Bethesda E3 Speculation
01:44:38 – Square-Enix
01:50:30 – Our Wishlists & Last Minute Predictions

Dragon Quest may be getting 'darker' and 'more adult', but we here at 8-4 Play pledge to remain as cute and carefree as ever. Join us for talk of all the recent DQ-related announcements, the latest Switch rumors, a little RE: Village and New Pokémon Snap, and more!

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:50 – Nicknames
13:22 – News: Dragon Quest Announcements, Valve's portable steam device, new Switch Pro rumors, and more!
1:17:54 – Resident Evil: Village
1:25:48 – Control
1:29:50 – Earthbound
1:39:07 – New Pokémon Snap
1:45:43 – Last Minute Rumors & News: Team Ninja & Final Fantasy, Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Edition, and a little bit more!

No news is good news when the only news is Alex "cvxfreak" Aniel joining us for nearly two hours of impressions of two of the past month's biggest releases: Returnal and Resident Evil Village!

Check out Alex's book Itchy, Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil

(Thanks to Peter Jonca for the Resident Evil font used in our image!)

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:04 – Nicknames
09:17 – Returnal
41:59 – Resident Evil: Village

With The Second Coming upon us, Digital Foundry's John Linneman joins us for an exhaustive chat through the tech driving Nintendo's new hardware, including a few key lingering questions…

Time — Topic Discussed

00:46 – Nicknames
18:56 – Switch 2 Talk
1:04:16 – FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time
1:13:08 – Luigi's Mansion 3
1:14:33 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
1:16:27 – Blue Prince
1:21:34 – Doom: The Dark Ages

It's Golden Week in Japan! Join us for pre-holiday impressions of SaGa Frontier Remastered and NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139, plus the latest news from the worlds of video games and fast food (spoiler: MacDonald is out this week, but McDonald's is -in-).

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:25 – Nicknames
13:05 – SaGa Frontier Remastered
33:29 – NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…
01:01:37 – News: PS5 Sales, PS3/PS Vita stores are here to stay, RE8 news recap, and more!

Impressed with the dioramas in Fantasian, we work together to construct a faithful replica of the 8-4 office. We spare no detail, including our fridge in the state-of-the-art podcast wing filled with tiny Chu-hi!

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:31 – Nicknames
14:21 – Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
24:26 – Monster Hunter Rise
27:04 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
31:42 – Fantasian
40:32 – Dragon Quest X
41:59 – No Man's Sky
52:03 – News: Nintendo Indies Announcement, the latest Sony happenings, and more!

Joined by special guest Adam "Gaijin Hunter" Evanko, we celebrate the latest pointy, bitey addition to the Monster Hunter franchise!

00:53 – Nicknames
05:52 – Monster Hunter Rise
1:04:48 – News: DLSS on the Next Switch, Sony's Sunset Plans PS3/PSP/PSVita stores, and more!

This week we bravely default to talking about Japan, games, and Japanese games! Plus a bit of reminiscing about boy bands, print gaming media, and some classic puzzle platformers.

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:58 – Nicknames
27:19 – Bravely Default II
38:40 – Don't Starve Together
44:45 – Little Nightmare 2, Inside, & Limbo (***Limbo Spoilers***)
51:28 – News: Bethesda Joins Microsoft, Super Nintendo World, Apex Legends on Switch and more!

17-Bit's Jake Kazdal returns to talk about his newly-announced VR title "Song in the Smoke," Japan Studio's closure, a bigger-screen Switch, PS5 VR, banana controllers, being Seth Rogen's stunt double, and more!

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:58 – Nicknames
10:59 – Song in the Smoke
44:49 – News: PlayStation VR News, Japan Studio's fate, New Switch rumors, and lots more

We gorge on Nintendo news along with 17-Bit's Jake Kazdal, topping it off with lots (and lots) of thoughts on Bowser's Fury and very, very little FFXIV updates. And the long-awaited reveal of exactly what time Gabe secured his PS5 order.

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:51 – Nicknames
15:10 – Devil May Cry 5
18:50 – Nintendo Direct News
1:07:35 – Super Mario 3D World: Bowser's Fury
1:41:27 – More News: GoldenEye Leak, DualSense drift, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, Final Fantasy XIV's next expansion, and more!

What do the RE8 and Balan demos, Cyber Shadow, Evangelion, Xbox Live Pricing, Switch LTD Sales and Sega politics all have in common? We talk about them on this podcast. Duh. This is always a list of the stuff we talk about. It was a rhetorical question.

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:46 – Nicknames
04:58 – Cyber Shadow
11:01 – Some Evangelion chat
19:31 – Resident Evil Village Visual Showcase
43:14 – The Medium
59:31 – News: PS5 Chaos in Japan, Nintendo Switch sales surpass the 3DS, Stadia's New Direction, GameStop at the last minute (literally), and more!

This week we give our expert (read: somewhat experienced) opinions of the Monster Hunter Rise demo. Then it's a mixed bag of games both new and old, with a side helping of anime and Sheila-E.

Time – Topic Discussed:

01:06 - Nicknames
03:05 - Mario Kart 8
05:46 - Monster Hunter Rise Demo
26:35 - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
30:28 - Slime Bunker
33:23 - Attack on Titan (and some more Anime/TV talk)
43:41 - Spiritfarer
47:28 - News: Lucas Film Games & the New Indiana Jones, Awesome Games Done Quick recap Square-Enix's mysterious trademarks, Peter Moore's return, and more!

First episode of 2021! This week we talk about our experiences in radio, the lifestyle that is Sasuke, the life of Saruman, and maybe some video games.

Time – Topic Discussed:

02:31 - Nicknames
20:10 - The Lord of the Rings movie & book talk (***CONTAINS SPOILERS***)
28:04 - Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
32:30 - Breath of Fire 3
36:49 - Read Dead Online
37:46 - Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)
44:04 - Awesome Games Done Quick (so far)
48:05 - News: The End of those GoKart tours, Miis & Breath of the Wild NPCs, Nier: Automata's final secret, and more!

Cozy up by the fire and join us for our annual holiday send-off, filled with tales of Christmas past, plans for winter break, and plenty more. Thanks as always for listening, and see you in 2021!

Time – Topic Discussed:

00:36 - Nicknames
12:41 - Sega Astro City Mini
23:01 - Return of the Obra Dinn (there are no spoilers)
32:09 - Jet Force Gemini
40:25 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons
54:51 - Phantasy Star Online 20th Anniversary
1:06:12 - Video Game Related Holiday Memories
1:19:02 - News: The Game Awards roundup, Cyberpunk 2077, Monster Hunter Movie, and more!
2:04:38 - Game and TV Plans for the Holiday Break

Tide yourself over this dry spell before the Summer Game Fest feast with (still tasty!) leftovers of Clair Obscur and Blue Prince, plus morsels on gaming media woes and EVO Japan bits in news.

Time — Topic Discussed

01:21 – Nicknames
09:30 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
15:34 – Blue Prince
19:20 – Blue Prince Spoilers Start
23:41 – Blue Prince Spoilers End
27:34 – News: Giant Bomb, the latest in Switch 2, EVO Japan and more!

This week we record before both The Game Awards AND the release of Cyberpunk 2077. But that doesn't stop us from ad-libbing some game award moments and re-visiting our Netflix corner.

Thanksgiving might be a little different this year, but like Olaf famously put it in Frozen II "8-4 Play is always there for you." Brighten up your Black Friday with bawdy tales of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and Japanese housing regulations. Hack the planet!

This week we trace some rays and flop some...teras? Anyway, next-gen is finally here!

Halloween is nearly here, but there'll be no Shibuya parties for us. Instead, we'll settle for the excitement of next-gen!

This week we get a little emotional about Paper Mario. Then we get MAD! About BUTTONS! Then we bring it all home with our hot takes on the Monster Hunter movie trailer.

Time-travel back to the nostalgic past of Oct 1, 2020! Who's next in Smash? How does Super Mario Bros. 35 work? Is karma real? All these questions and more will not be answered!

This week the crew is joined by 17-Bit head honcho Jake Kazdal to break down the latest news from the PlayStation 5 showcase and miss yet another suspiciously-timed Nintendo Direct.

We've done it again! Missing a monumentous Direct by mere minutes, listen to us speculate on what Nintendo might be up to, all the while knowing we'd all find out within an hour of recording.

This week, with Mark out on vacation, the gang do their best to keep things on the rails. How did we do? Find out now!

This week, maple leaves rain down around us as we meditate on our experiences with Ghosts of Tsushima and the morality of the recent Nintendo leak.

Golden Week? This year it's more of a Golden Weekend, sadly, but that hasn't stopped us from putting our vacations on pause to share impressions of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Mario Kart World, and our Switch 2 preorder experiences. Plus news!

Time — Topic Discussed

01:00 – Nicknames
05:54 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
28:39 – Mario Kart World
39:25 – News: Switch 2 pre-orders, 8bitdo cancels US shipments, and more!

This week we dive deep on The Last of Us Part 2 in a special spoilercast!

Author, localizer, and (most importantly) long-time friend of the show Matt Alt joins us to discuss his new book, Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World. Plus the usual news and other nonsense you've come to expect from your favorite podcast about Japan, and games, and Japanese games.

This week we touch briefly on The Last of Us--or how it makes us feel things. Dark things. Then it's business as usual with talk of the latest Pokémon news, the joy of mining, and of course Strong Zero.