Welcome to the Season 12 Episode 5 of the Cartridge Club! This month we're playing Shining Force. The QDawgs return to host this discussion, and are joined by Captain Algebra, Master Welch and Owazrim. Also, be sure to join us in February, when we'll be playing Bioshock Infinite!

As always, follow along with the conversation every month on our community Discord. Interested in shirts, mugs, notebooks, or other gear featuring designs based on our Game of the Month selection?

Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cart.... Don't forget to give our podcast a review on whatever podcast app that you use! If you're interested in supporting us and our community - and get to be involved in the selection of future games of the month - check out how at   / cartridgeclub  

Links to our Guests:

Captain Algebra | Twitter: @Captain_Algebra | BlueSky: @captainalgebra.bsky.social | YouTube:    / @captainalgebra  

Master Welch | Twitter: @MasterCWelch | YouTube:    / @mastercwelch  

Owazrim | Twitter: @Owazrim | YouTube:    / @owazrim  

Hosts: Melissa | Twitter: @MrsQDawg | YouTube: @MightyQDawg Eric | Twitter: @MightyQDawg | YouTube: @MightyQDawg

Welcome to the Season 12 Episode 4 of the Cartridge Club! This month we're playing Starfox Adventures. Ryan aka It'sRocketSauce returns to host this discussion, and is joined by club veterans StumptownRetro, JChipShow and AtomicBomb1980

Also, be sure to join us in January, when we'll be playing Shining Force. As always, follow along with the conversation every month on our community Discord.

Interested in shirts, mugs, notebooks, or other gear featuring designs based on our Game of the Month selection? Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cartridgeclub.

Don't forget to give our podcast a review on whatever podcast app that you use! If you're interested in supporting us and our community - and get to be involved in the selection of future games of the month - check out how at https://www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub

Links to our Guests:

StumptownRetro | Discord

JChipshow | Twitter: @JChipShow | BlueSky: @jchipshow.bsky.social | Youtube: @JChipShow

Adam | Twitter: @AtomicBomb1980 | Twitch: atomicbomb1980

Host: Ryan | Twitter:@itsRocketSauce | BlueSky:itsrocketsauce.bksy.social

Welcome to the Season 11 Episode 7 of the Cartridge Club! This month we're celebrating Atari! Curtiss returns to host this discussion, and is joined by Duke from Retro Nonsense .

Also, be sure to join us in April, when we'll be playing The Lend of Zelda: The Minish Cap!

As always, follow along with the conversation every month on our community Discord.

Interested in shirts, mugs, notebooks, or other gear featuring designs based on our Game of the Month selection? Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cartridgeclub

Don't forget to give our podcast a review on whatever podcast app that you use! If you're interested in supporting us and our community - and get to be involved in the selection of future games of the month - check out how at https://www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub

Links to our Guests:

Duke | Twitter: @Duke0619

Host:

Curtiss | Twitter: @curtissfrisle

Thumbnails by @Round_2_Gaming

Church aka @The_GameGrinder joins Curtiss this month as they call the thunder with Thor: God of Thunder for the Nintendo DS!

Find out if they think this beat 'em up is worthy of wielding Mjolnir! They also discuss some other Marvel gems you should add to your video game catalogue! 

Thumbnails by Josh Leslie (@FranticSociety)

Interested in supporting the club?  Check out our merchandise shop for shirt and other gear: http://www.teepublic.com/stores/cartridgeclub

or

Take a look at our Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/Cartridgeclub

@xmattbandyx & @Buried_On_Mars get crazy with Curtiss this month for March Madness* to discuss all things Game Boy Advance! The rules were simple: play any GBA game you want! The guys give their thoughts on everything the Cartridge Clubbers played this month and discuss Matt Bandy's Elite 8 bracket in this jam-packed episode! Thank you to everyone who chimed in on the forums or Twitter! 

The Cartridge Club is back for March's stroll through the Finch House to find out what really happened to Edith's family, and determine if there truly is a curse.  

Join Musty, Ryan, and our guest panel of Edith Finch superfans as we discuss the Giant Sparrow release of What Remains of Edith Finch.

Panel

Caleb J Ross (@calebjross)

Sarah (@Sarca_Sim)

Hosts

MustyHobbit (@mustyhobbit)

Ryan (@itsrocketsauce)

Thumbnails

Josh Leslie (@franticsociety)

As always, drop in at www.cartridgeclub.org, where you'll find our forums, and links to additional content from us and our community.

Interested in supporting the club?  Check out the merchandise shop over at www.teepublic.com/stores/CartridgeClub or look into our Patreon at www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub, where every dollar pledged goes toward maintaining the show and our little corner of the internet.

February is a month for love as we explore a game of love, betrayal and the terror of commitment - everything you wanted for your Valentine's Day - playing Catherine! 

Hosts

MustyHobbit/Joe - @MustyHobbit

ItsRocketSauce/Ryan - @ItsRocketSauce

Panel

Kathryn (Flock of Nerds/Flock Talk) - @k_song

Travis (Polykill/NESFriend) - @travplaysgames

Thumbnails

Josh Leslie - @FranticSociety

@itsRocketSauce aka Ryan soars into action alongside Curtiss to discuss Kid Icarus: Uprising for the Nintendo 3DS!

Does it really have the worst control scheme ever? What do Pit and Curtiss have in common? And was Ryan serious when he said THIS GAME is his favorite 3DS game??? 

Thumbnail by: Josh (@FranticSociety)

Don't let the gloomy winter weather get you down!  The Cartridge Club is back for January with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero as our game of the month.  

Join hosts Ryan (@ItsRocketSauce) and Musty (@MustyHobbit) as we invite on Josh (@Creep1337) and series mega-fan Church (@The_GameGrinder) to discuss everything we can possibly think of about our favorite hip-shaking city guardian.

Funding for the Cartridge Club is provided entirely from pledges from listeners like you.  If you're interested in supporting the club, please check out patreon.com/CartridgeClub.

Thumbnails provided by Josh Leslie - @FranticSociety

James aka @RetroPixil and Curtiss play the most expensive CCPortable game to date! Is Shantae worth the price of admission? Why was it such a failure upon its initial release? And does it deserve a place in YOUR collection?

Thank you for tuning into a very special episode of CCExtra. Dean Lasagna is joined by fellow clubbers Josh and Sergio, two of the biggest Kingdom Hearts experts we have, and over the next hour and a half, they're gonna teach you everything you need to know about the Story Thus Far.

Kingdom Hearts has a complex story to say the least. Underneath the guise of a lighthearted Disney game, you’ve got a tale with countless characters, and worlds, and time travel, and prophets, and cloning, and rewriting memories. It gets really deep. But, with the right building blocks, they'll help you piece the story together so you have everything you need to dive right into Kingdom Hearts III.

For the month of December, The Cartridge Club is taking a foray back to the era of afternoon cartoons with an NES classic from Capcom - DuckTales (Woo Hoo)! Players control Scrooge McDuck as he travels around the world and outer space in search of five treasures to further increase his fortune.

Hosts @MustyHobbit and @ItsRocketsauce invite on Chris @cwr2 and JDubious @DubiousGaming to discuss the NES classic platformer.

Thumbnail - Josh Leslie @FranticSociety

@xmattbandyx joins Curtiss this month to remix the Capcom Classics Collection Remixed! They break down all 20 games and put them in the Pro column or the Con column. Will there be more Pros than Cons? Is Black Tiger the worst game ever made? And have you ever played Quiz & Dragons??? 

Thumbnail by Josh Leslie (@FranticSociety)

Welcome to the Season 11 Episode 6 of the Cartridge Club! This month we're playing Goldeneye 007 for FPS month aka February Pick a Shooter. ItsRocketSauce returns to host this discussion, and is joined by J-Chip Show, Daniel Greenberg, and JRock the Game Rocker

Also, be sure to join us in March Madness, when we'll be playing Atari Games. As always, follow along with the conversation every month on our forums at https://www.cartridgeclub.org or our community's Discord. Interested in shirts, mugs, notebooks, or other gear featuring designs based on our Game of the Month selection? Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cart...

Don't forget to give our podcast a review on whatever podcast app that you use! If you're interested in supporting us and our community - and get to be involved in the selection of future games of the month - check out how at https://www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub

Links to our Guests:

J-Chip Show | Twitter: @JChipShow | YouTube: @JChipShow

Daniel Greenberg | Twitter: @winterion |winterion.com

JRock the GameRocker | Twitter: @JRockGameRocker | YouTube:jrockthegamerocker

Host: Ryan | Twitter: @itsRocketSauce

Thumbnails by @Round_2_Gaming

For the month of November, the Cartridge Club is taking a trip back to 1899 America, with Red Dead Redemption 2.  After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Lind gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.

Hosts

Ryan - @ItsRocketSauce

Musty - @MustyHobbit

Panel

Josh - @FranticSociety

Jake - @TheMcAxl

The Cartridge Club is funded through generous pledges from members of our community through Patreon.  If you are interested in supporting the club and it's contributors, check out our offerings at patreon.com/CartridgeClub

Looking for a nice new shirt, mug, or pillow emblazoned with your favorite CC creator?  Check our our merchandise shop at teepublic.com/stores/CartridgeClub

Musty Hobbit busts out the BLADES OF ATHENA this month to help Curtiss slay GOD OF WAR: GHOST OF SPARTA for the PSP! How does this game compare to the main series console entries? Does Kratos make full use of the game's "M" rating? (Answer: Yes) And find out who makes a surprise cameo on this month's show!!!

Curtiss

Twitter: @CCPortableUnite

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/girlfriendvs

MustyHobbit

Twitter:  @MustyHobbit

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SecondBreakfastYT

Thumbnails by Josh Leslie (Twitter@FranticSociety)

The Cartridge Club is funded through generous donations from members of its community through Patreon.  If you are interested in supporting the club for as little as $1 a month, check out patreon.com/CartridgeClub!

Spooky Season is here, and for October, we're playing Resident Evil 2!

Join hosts MustyHobbit and ItsRocketSauce and a panel of community members as the reminisce and discuss all things RE2!

Hosts

Ryan @ItsRocketSauce

Musty @MustyHobbit

Panel  

Chris @OARGamer

Joe @ACDecepticon

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt Twitter: @willopruitt

Thumbnails:

Josh Leslie Twitter: @franticsociety

Support for the club comes exclusively through Patreon (patreon.com/cartridgeclub).  These contributions allow us to continually improve the club to be a better place to hangout, and increased opportunities for the club to connect, both online and in person, and grow.

Patrons also gain access to the video edition of the podcast with higher tiers able to watch and chat during the live recording session stream each month.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man. The Cartridge Club talks about the PS4 exclusive Spider-Man. This is a spoiler cast breaking down the 2018 release Marvel’s Spider-Man. Have you played this game yet? Give it a listen.

In the Season 6 Premiere, new show hosts ItsRocketSauce and MustyHobbit invite on a couple of panel veterans to play the id Software first person shooter, Doom.  Is it a reboot?  Is it a sequel?  Listen along as we Rip and Tear through this modern masterpiece.

Available on the PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

Panel  

Pam

Twitter: @Jasyla_

Kevin

Twitter: @Buried_on_Mars

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Thumbnail

Josh Leslie

Twitter: @FranticSociety

Curtiss is joined by Chris R to discuss Gargoyle's Quest for the original Game Boy! Find out why the overworld sucks, how to get past the DREADED spike shaft, and Chris R's top three Game Boy games! 

You like video games, right? You like learning about video games, right? On today’s Cartridge Club Extra author and YouTuber Caleb J. Ross interviews Patrick Hickey Jr., the author of the wonderful book The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers.

Visit Patrick Hickey Jr. online: http://patrickhickeyjr.com

Mentioned:

• The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers (Studies in Gaming) by Patrick Hickey Jr.
• The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987 by Brett Weiss
• Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier
• Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Video Games by Leonard Herman

In the Season 5 finale, we turn to our patrons to nominate and select our game of the month, and they selected the game that took the CC100 #1 spot, and many people's favorite 2D Mario title, Super Mario World.  Join hosts MustyHobbit and ItsRocketSauce as we dive into Dinosaur Land with Mario, Luigi, and their new buddy, Yoshi, to see what sort of nefarious things Bowser and his Koopa Kids are up to.  

Panel

Sean ‘Player 1”

Twitter: @CartridgeBros

Mark ‘Player 2’

Twitter: @CartridgeBrosP2

Fitgnat

Twitter: @Fitgnat

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Thumbnail

Josh Leslie

Twitter: @FranticSociety

HEEEAAALP! @5GameSuicide (aka Marmul) and Curtiss answer the call this month  to talk all things ELITE BEAT AGENTS for the Nintendo DS! Is Marmul actually British or American? Does the Cartridge Club feel bad for Luigi? And should Elite Beat Agents belong in YOUR collection? Find out all this and more! CARTRIDGE CLUB PORTABLE ARE... GO!!

Welcome to the Season 11 Episode 5 of the Cartridge Club! This month we're playing Golden Axe! The QDawgs return to host this discussion, and are joined by Bill, Duke, and Owazrim.

Also, be sure to join us in February, when we'll be playing Golden Eye!

As always, follow along with the conversation every month on our community Discord. Interested in shirts, mugs, notebooks, or other gear featuring designs based on our Game of the Month selection? Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cart...

Don't forget to give our podcast a review on whatever podcast app that you use! If you're interested in supporting us and our community - and get to be involved in the selection of future games of the month - check out how at https://www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub

Links to our Guests:

Bill | Twitter: @STCPod

Duke | Twitter: @Duke0619

Owazrim | Twitter: @Owazrim | Youtube:    / @owazrim  

Hosts: Melissa | Twitter: @MrsQDawg | YouTube: @MightyQDawg

Eric | Twitter: @MightyQDawg | YouTube: @MightyQDawg

Thumbnails by @Round_2_Gaming

Billy from the Game Chasers joins Curtiss this month to talk all things Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Back From the Sewers! Find out if this game is just a carbon copy of Fall of the Foot Clan, why Canada ruined the Ernest film franchise, and the biggest flaw in the movie TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze. It's a shell of a time! Go ninja, go ninja, go! 

The Cartridge Club ventures into uncharted territory by selecting a fighting game as our Game of the Month.  Hosts ItsRocketSauce and Musty Hobbit guide a panel of hyper informed club members through a discussion of the arcade and 16 bit classic, Street Fighter 2.  

The Cartridge Club is an online community of gamers, collectors, and video game enthusiasts of all ages, who come together each month to play a game, along the lines of a book club for games.  Select members of the community, with the occasional special guest, come together at the end of the month to discuss that game.

Interested in supporting the channel? Take a look at our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub), or check out the merchandise available for the club and other Cartridge Club contributors: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cartridgeclub

Hosts

ItsRocketSauce (Twitter: @itsrocketsauce)

Musty Hobbit (Twitter: @mustyhobbit)

Panel

Chris  (Twitter: @bassguy654)

Tim  (Twitter: @Haru0kay)

Ryho  (Twitter: @RyhoMagnifico)

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash  (Twitter: @Serraxor)

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt  (Twitter: @willopruitt)

Thumbnails:

Josh Leslie  (Twitter: @franticsociety)

Welcome to a special MightyQBros podcast celebrating another 'Rick V. Day' anniversary! On July 18, 1997, Eric "MightyQDawg" and his brothers received a very special package in the mail containing a huge lot of SMS games.  It was a very exciting day for us, and one that stuck with us for the last two decades.  In this podcast, Eric and his brother, Gavin, discuss some notable games that were included in the Rick V. Day bundle! Enjoy the podcast!

Episode #58 - Axiom Verge

Axiom Verge is a 2D retro-syled metroidvania action-adventure game inspired by such classics as Rygar, Contra, Castlevania, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master, and Metroid. It was created, developed, stylized and composed by Tom Happ. He worked during the day as a developer for Petroglyph Games but worked on his own game during his off hours.

Introductions

Panel  

Buried on Mars

Twitter: @Buried_On_Mars

Ram Vox

Twitter: @TheRamVox

Dean

Twitter: @Round_2_Gaming

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Thumbnail

Josh Leslie

Twitter: @FranticSociety

Level 1  

P2(Mark) gives a quick overview of Kingdom Hearts and panel discusses their memories of the game and first impressions.

• Developer: Tom Happ

• • Publisher: Tom Happ

• Director: Tom Happ

• Platform(s):

• PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, Wii u, Xbox 1, Switch

• Release Date:

• • March 31, 2015

Genre: Metroidvania

Level 2

Discuss story of the game:

A failed scientist is crippled in an accident, only to awaken in a mysterious, alien world. Where is he? How did he get here? And why do the fundamental laws of reality appear broken? Life. Afterlife. Real. Virtual. Dream. Nightmare. It's a thin line.

Characters

• Trace

• Athetos

• Elsenova

• Ophilia

• Veruska

Discuss gameplay mechanics:

• Exploration
• Favourite weapons
• Glitch mechanic
• Difficulty
• Tribute to Metroid

Discuss sound:

• Music
• Sound effects

Discuss graphics:

• Beautiful graphics
• H.R. Giger inspired

Level 3

Lasting Impressions, overall rating and final thoughts. Did this make you want to play it again and if not, what would need to be changed? Would you suggest it to friends?

Level 4

3 Word Review #CC3WR from Twitter first followed by panel

Level 5

Outro (thank panel and plug)

Announce the game for next month (Street Fighter 2)

It's dangerous to go alone! Take NESComplex with you! That's exactly what Curtiss does this month as the two break down Link's first adventure on the original Game Boy! No Zelda? No Hyrule? No problem! Or... maybe lots of problems. Only one way to find out! 

Halo: Combat Evolved is a military science fiction first-person shooter  created by Bungie and now, a former subsidiary of Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant.  

Hosts:

@ItsRocketSauce

@MustyHobbit

Panel

Brasel the Gamer

Twitter: @BraseltheGamer

Shelby

Twitter: @BBShelbo

Matt

Twitter: @ADDefense 

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Kingdom Hearts is the first game in the Kingdom Hearts series. Revolving around a fourteen-year old boy named Sora, it details his adventures after his homeworld is destroyed by sinister creatures known as the Heartless, and his attempts to restore his world and reunite with his friends. In the process, he meets many characters from classic Disney films and a handful from the Final Fantasy video game series.

Introductions

Panel  

Rusty Lewis

Twitter: @relewis2011

Rob

Twitter: @BonusBarrel

Josh

Twitter: @FranticSociety

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Level 1  

P2(Mark) gives a quick overview of Kingdom Hearts and panel discusses their memories of the game and first impressions.

• Developer: Square Enix

• • Publisher: Square Enix

• Director: Tetsuya Nomura

• Platform(s):

• PS2

• PS3

• PS4

• Release Date:

• • • JP: March 28, 2002
    • NA: September 17, 2002

• Genre: Action Role Playing

Level 2

Discuss story of the game: The heartless are attacking and destroying worlds. Sora and his friends are caught up in the mess and Sora, using the keyblade goes on an adventure to find his friends and save the “worlds” from the heartless.

Characters

• Sora

• Riku

• Kairi

• Final Fantasy Characters

• Disney Characters

Discuss gameplay mechanics:

• Controls too floaty?
• Camera not great
• Magic versus physical
• Mash the X?
• Swapping party members

Discuss sound:

• Voice acting decent
• Favourite tracks

Discuss graphics:

• Fun art style
• Redesign of FF characters

Level 3

Lasting Impressions, overall rating and final thoughts. Did this make you want to play it again and if not, what would need to be changed? Would you suggest it to friends?

Level 4

3 Word Review #CC3WR from Twitter first followed by panel

Level 5

Outro (thank panel and plug)

Announce the game for next month (Halo)

Curtiss is joined by Mighty Q Dawg to talk all about the blue blur in the palm of your hands. Listen to this one fast before it’s gone! 

The Last of Us is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl named Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States.

Introductions

Panel  

Mighty Q Dawg

Twitter: @MightyQDawg

Kathryn

Twitter: @k_song

Ryan

Twitter: @itsrocketsauce

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Level 1  

P2(Mark) gives a quick overview of The Last of Us and panel discusses their memories of the game and first impressions.

• Developer: Naughty Dog

• • Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

• Director: Neil Druckmann, Bruce Straley

• Platform(s):

• PlayStation 3

• PlayStation 4

• Release Date:

• June 14, 2013

• Genre: Third Person Shooter

Level 2

Discuss story of the game: Set in the post-apocalyptic United States, the game tells the story of survivors Joel and Ellie as they work together to survive their westward journey across what remains of the country to find a possible cure for the modern fungal plague that has nearly decimated the entire human race.

Characters:

• Joel (Troy Baker) - The protagonist of the game. Joel is a survivor of the Cordyceps Brain Infection outbreak, taking residence in the Boston Quarantine Zone. Embittered and hardened by the death of his young daughter Sarah, Joel operates as a black market smuggler, dealing in contraband, taking numerous de-humanizing jobs over the years to survive in this new post-pandemic world. He has only few moral boundaries left to cross. Unfortunately for him, he is thrust into the middle of the nightmare that the world has become, when he is asked by the leader of the Fireflies, Marlene, to look after Ellie. Throughout the game, Joel slowly develops an unbreakable bond with Ellie and a desire to once again open up his emotions that he had suppressed for so many years.

• Ellie (Ashley Johnson) - The deuteragonist of the game. Ellie is a brave 14-year-old girl that has grown up in this harsh world and it is all she has ever known. Ellie is immune to the Cordyceps strain and because of this, the Fireflies, an anti-government organization, seek to reverse engineer a vaccine through her. She and Joel travel across the post-pandemic United States to reach the Fireflies. She helps the player through the game in many ways, lending a hand in combat and assisting through areas of the game that would otherwise be inaccessible. She frequently expresses curiosity about the remnants of a world that no longer exists.

• Tess (Annie Wersching) - Tess is Joel's 'partner-in-crime'. They operate in the black market of a city under martial law and have earned a reputation for their ruthless behavior. She and Joel have a trust that runs deeply between them. Tess goes with Joel to drop off Ellie to the Fireflies at the Capitol building in Boston, in exchange for getting back the guns that were stolen from them. Against all odds, the trio make it to the Capitol Building only to find that the Fireflies are dead, and Tess reveals that she was bitten by a Runner an hour before. She holds off some soldiers after she makes Joel promise to bring Ellie to Tommy, Joel's little brother.

• Bill (W. Earl Brown) - Bill is a paranoid survivor who appears early in the game and helps Joel and Ellie. Bill takes refuge in a town that he has completely booby trapped. He seems to be a bit eccentric, perhaps deranged, but offers to aid Joel and Ellie in finding a car. He is excessively bitter towards Ellie due to the fact that she was hostile towards him from the start. Bill possesses gay pornography, and showed heavy emotion for his friend Frank's death, implying that he was romantically involved with Frank.

• Marlene (Merle Dandridge) - The leader of the Fireflies and Ellie's surrogate parent. In exchange for their guns back, Marlene tells Tess and Joel to take Ellie to the Fireflies at the Capitol building in Boston. To Marlene, every unethical action she takes can be justified because of her pursuit to save humanity from the infection. She is absent for most of the game and only appears at the end, where she becomes the final antagonist.

• Tommy (Jeffrey Pierce) - Joel's brother and a former Firefly. The game starts with Tommy helping Joel and Sarah maneuver through the chaotic crowds of both civilians and infected during the initial outbreak. Tommy and Joel reunite later within the game and he reluctantly agrees to help his brother, establishing one of Joel and Ellie's reasons for coming to the University of Eastern Colorado. He is married to Maria.

• David (Nolan North) - A middle-age survivor and leader of a Cannibals group who appears later in the game and asks for help from Ellie. David is a very manipulative person, seeking to win people over with his superficial mild-mannered appearance, and attempts to convince Ellie to join him. Ellie doesn't buy his attitude and eventually breaks his finger. He finally reveals his true nature to Ellie and even attempts to kill her outright, sending a group of his men to capture her several times throughout the winter section of the game. To David, everything that has happened was for a reason; he believes faith brought him and Ellie to together, and that their encounter was meant to be. He has a very profound effect on Ellie throughout the rest of the game.

• Henry (Brandon Scott) - An adept survivor, who, with his brother Sam, helps Joel and Ellie in Pittsburgh. He and Joel are initially hostile towards each other, but in the end begin to warm up to each other. However, he commits suicide after having to kill his infected brother.

• Sam (Nadji Jeter) - Henry's younger brother. Upon meeting, he and Ellie get along almost instantly and continue their easy going relationship throughout the chapter. After he is bitten by an Infected, Ellie is the last person Sam talks to before he turns. He is killed by Henry, who immediately commits suicide out of grief.

• Sarah (Hana Hayes) - Joel's daughter. She is killed in the prologue when a soldier was instructed to open fire on both her and Joel. Her death causes Joel to become cold, cynical, and brutal over the years.

Discuss gameplay mechanics:

• Combat (look at all these shoulder height walls)
• Stealth (but not really it’s just quiet combat)
• Crafting (favourite items and least favourite)
• AI (Where did all the promises from E3 2013 go?)

Discuss sound:

• BGM - thematic and atmospheric or forgettable?
• Voice acting - Does it get better than this? (Needs more Matt Mercer)

Discuss graphics:

• Beautiful scenery

• Character design

• The zombies

Level 3

Lasting Impressions, overall rating and final thoughts. Did this make you want to play it again and if not, what would need to be changed? Would you suggest it to friends?

Level 4

3 Word Review #CC3WR from Twitter first followed by panel

Level 5

Outro (thank panel and plug)

Announce the game for next month (Kingdom Hearts)

Welcome to the Season 11 Episode 4 of the Cartridge Club! This month we're playing Celeste! Captain Algebra returns to host this discussion, and is joined by Joel Boyce, Paul R., and Owazrim.

Also, be sure to join us in January, when we'll be playing Golden Axe. As always, follow along with the conversation every month on our forums at https://www.cartridgeclub.org or our community's Discord. Interested in shirts, mugs, notebooks, or other gear featuring designs based on our Game of the Month selection? Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cart... Don't forget to give our podcast a review on whatever podcast app that you use! If you're interested in supporting us and our community - and get to be involved in the selection of future games of the month - check out how at https://www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub

Links to our Guests:

Joel Boyce | Twitter: @JJSBoyce

Owazrim | Twitter: @Owazrim | Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Owazrim

Host: Captain Algebra | Twitter: @Captain_Algebra | YouTube: @CaptainAlgebra

Thumbnails by @Round_2_Gaming

With an impending deployment P1 can no longer carry on with CCWeekly and after 5 years of podcasting P2 is ready for a break. Thus marks the last episode of CCWeekly with the Bros and it's yours now! Worry not friends, the CC Prime game of the Month will carry on with a new pair of hosts in the form of Musty Hobbit and Its Rocket Sauce and they're ready and able to breathe fresh life into the community.

Curtiss joins forces with his California cohort Chris Roberts to take on March Madness! They discuss everything Nintendo DS/3DS including: the ridiculous amount of system variations, all the games YOU played this month and reviewed on the forums, your MOST DISAPPOINTING games for the DS, and what ever happened to the MEAN GIRLS game??? All this and more in the most jam packed episode yet! 

This week Mark and I discuss our Top 5 games that never received a sequel. Then dive into Sea of Thieves launch day woes and discuss if the game will have the legs to go the distance.

This week Mark couldn’t make it but thankfully my lovely wife Colleen stepped in to fill his shoes. Last of Us and March Madness lead the way for the Prime and Portable games of the month. We talk about Grey’s Anatomy, Jumanji and Kirby’s Star Allies

www.cartridgeclub.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBros

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBrosP2 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CartridgeBros/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartridgebros/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cartridgeclub

Odin Sphere is an action role-playing game developed by Vanillaware for the PlayStation 2. It was published by Atlus (Japan and North America) in 2007, and by Square Enix (Europe) in 2008. A remake titled Odin Sphere Leifthrasir was released on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in 2016. The story follows five characters on the fantasy continent of Erion during a war between the nations of Ragnanival and Ringford over a weapon called the Crystalization Cauldron, and their roles in the Armageddon, a catastrophe which will destroy Erion.

Introductions

Panel  

Agent Poyo

Twitter: @poyopotpie

Scott

Twitter: @VGCollectaholic

Minotaur Zombie

Twitter: @MinotaurZombie

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Level 1  

P2(Mark) gives a quick overview of Odin Sphere and panel discusses their memories of the game and first impressions.

• Developer: Vanillaware

• • Publisher:
    • JP: Atlus

• NIS America (Leifthrasir)

• Director: George Kamitani

• Platform(s):

• • PlayStation 2
  • PlayStation 3
  • PlayStation 4
  • PlayStation Vita

• Release Date:

• May 22, 2007

• June 7, 2016

• Genre: Action Role Playing

Level 2

Discuss story of the game:

Odin Sphere is set on the fictional continent of Erion, which is divided into multiple nations scattered across the land. The two main nations are the warrior land of Ragnanival, and the forest-bound Fairy Kingdom of Ringford, separated by a wasteland that was once the kingdom of Valentine. At the game's opening, Ragnanival is ruled by the Demon Lord Odin, and Ringford is ruled by the Fairy Queen Elfaria with help from her nephew Melvin. The other nations include the neutral land of Titania; the volcano-bound Fire Kingdom ruled by the one male resident King Onyx; and the Netherworld, the land of the dead where natural crystals grow, ruled by the undead Queen Odette. The plot is driven by the tale of Armageddon, a foretold catastrophe in which Erion is destroyed and the survivors reign the new world.

Characters:

Gwyndolyn

Oswald

Cornelius

Mercedes

Velvet

NPC:

Odin

Odette

Onyx

Melvin

Elfaria

Brom

King Gallon

Valentine

Ingway

Brigan

The Wise Ones

Dragons:

Belial

Wagner

Hindel

Leventhan

The Pooka Curse

Multiple endings

Love story

Discuss gameplay mechanics:

Fighting Mechanics

Favourite Character to use

Food

Phozons

Alchemy

POW

PP

Discuss sound:

BGM - memorable or forgettable

Sound Effects

Voice Acting

Discuss graphics:

Holy shit this game is gorgeous

Favourite designs of enemies/characters

Favourite Environments

Level 3

Lasting Impressions, overall rating and final thoughts. Did this make you want to play it again and if not, what would need to be changed? Would you suggest it to friends?

Level 4

3 Word Review #CC3WR from Twitter first followed by panel

Level 5

Outro (thank panel and plug)

Announce the game for next month (The Last of Us)

We talk game OST’s to open the show this week and narrowing it down to our top 5 is way too hard. P2 is frustrated about someone backing into their driveway on a snowy night and the window is open!

We tackle the Nintendo Direct and how it has one of us extremely hyped. Lastly the show rolls into some answers and we realize that our miss had been janked up the whole show, sorry about that.

Top 5: 3:58

Announcements: 17:38

What We’ve Been Up To: 26:57

Nintendo Direct: 28:45

CCAnswers: 1:01:50

www.cartridgeclub.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBros

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBrosP2 

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Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cartridgeclub

We list our top 5 Square JRPG’s to start the show and P2 is surprised by one of the games on P1’s list. Jay snubs P1 at work and sends in his own fantastic top 5 list. The Bros announce the future plan for Cartridge Club Prime and it’s new hosts.

P2 gets credits in a Switch heavy hitter but he isn’t done with it yet. Then we talk I Am Setsuna and we go into spoilers.

Top 5: 2:33

Announcements: 11:40

What We’ve Been Up To: 24:46

I Am Setsuna Spoilers Start: 52:50

I Am Setsuna Spoilers End: 1:03:29

CCAnswers: 1:04:40

www.cartridgeclub.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBros

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBrosP2 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CartridgeBros/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartridgebros/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cartridgeclub

Samus, Curtiss and Kevin? Sounds like a match made in podcst heaven!

New set but the same old bros this week. Mark is finally in the closet with his PS2 and diving into Odin Sphere. P1 gets pumped about Rusty’s latest review on Boy and his Blob and receives a delivery from Girl Scouts of America. Rooms are available for the Chi-Cartridge-Con event in Chicago this July.

P2 talks isolation horror and we list off some of our favourites. Does combat alone carry an RPG or is it the story that really drives it? P1 makes a plea to Media Mavens to become an Overwatch only podcast (or at least tell him one that exists already that is as good as they are). Lastly we might get the final SEGA Top 50 video this week!

Announcements: 4:07

What We’ve Been Up To: 15:07

CCAnswers: 39:27

www.cartridgeclub.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBros

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBrosP2 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CartridgeBros/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartridgebros/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cartridgeclub

The bros are back to the dismay of many. Odin Sphere is getting some play in the closet while Metroid Fusion is a fun blast from the past. Kevin’s stream in tribute of his father is a big hit and P1 spends the week in combats playing soldier. 

Announcements: 3:08

What We’ve Been Up To: 13:30

CCAnswers: 47:55

www.cartridgeclub.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBros

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CartridgeBrosP2 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CartridgeBros/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartridgebros/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cartridgeclub

Welcome to the Season 11 Episode 3 of the Cartridge Club! This month we're playing Spider-Man 2! Captain Algebra returns to host this discussion, and is joined by J-Chip Show, Ryan (Rocket Sauce), and Josh (Frantic Society.

Also, be sure to join us in December, when we'll be playing Celeste. As always, follow along with the conversation every month on our forums at https://www.cartridgeclub.org or our community's Discord. Interested in shirts, mugs, notebooks, or other gear featuring designs based on our Game of the Month selection? Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/cart...

Don't forget to give our podcast a review on whatever podcast app that you use! If you're interested in supporting us and our community - and get to be involved in the selection of future games of the month - check out how at https://www.patreon.com/CartridgeClub

Links to our Guests:

J-Chip Show | Twitter: @JChipShow | YouTube: @JChipShow

Ryan | Twitter: @itsRocketSauce

Josh | Twitter: @FranticSociety

Host:

Captain Algebra | Twitter: @Captain_Algebra | YouTube: @CaptainAlgebra

Thumbnails by @Round_2_Gaming

Dark Cloud is an action role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. Originally intended as a launch title for the PlayStation 2, the game was released in Japan in December 2000, in North America in May 2001, and in Europe in September 2001. Combining action role-playing with elements of city-building games, the game tells the story of a group of adventurers who band together to fight against the evil Dark Genie, who has attacked and destroyed many villages. The protagonist is Toan, a boy who is given a magical stone called the "Atlamillia" by Simba, the Fairy King, which has the power to rebuild the destroyed lands.

Panel  

Travis

Twitter: @travplaysgames

Marmul

Twitter: @5GameSuicide

Jarred

Twitter: @retrofaithgames

Cartridge Club Intro/Outro Music

Ser Flash

Twitter: @Serraxor

Cartridge Club Logo

Will Pruitt

Twitter: @willopruitt

Level 1  

P2(Mark) gives a quick overview of Dark Cloud and panel discusses their memories of the game and first impressions.

• Developer: Level-5

• • Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

• Director: Akihiro Hino

• Platform(s):

• PlayStation 2

• Release Date:

• • • JP: December 14, 2000
    • NA: May 29, 2001
    • EU: September 21, 2001

• Genre: Action Role Playing

Level 2

Discuss story of the game: When a corrupt general unleashes a mystical genie that destroys a planet, a magical fairy scatters its spheres across the world to preserve its elements from the chaos. In the aftermath, a young boy must retrieve the spheres. During the course of the game, Toan meets new characters who can be chosen to explore and battle in dungeons. The player must accomplish in-game events for new characters to join. The available characters include: Xiao, a slingshot-wielding 'catgirl'; Goro, a hunter from Matataki Village who uses large hammers; Ruby, a magic-ring-using genie from Queens; Ungaga, a Muska Lacka warrior using staves; and Osmond, leader of the Moon People, equipped with a variety of guns and blasters

Discuss gameplay mechanics:

• City Building
• Weapons upgrading/breaking
• Combat
• Character upgrading (health, thirst, defence)
• Camera controls
• Fast travel
• Random dungeon levels
• Backfloor levels

Discuss sound:

• Favourite BGM
• Sound effects

Discuss graphics:

• Character/creature design
• Aged well

Level 3

Lasting Impressions, overall rating and final thoughts. Did this make you want to play it again and if not, what would need to be changed? Would you suggest it to friends? Dark Cloud 2

Level 4

3 Word Review #CC3WR from Twitter first followed by panel

Level 5

Outro (thank panel and plug)

Announce the game for next month (Odin Sphere)

This week we take a look at the wilder side of Weekly with a couple of special guest hosts

The enigmatic Curtiss is joined this month by our Queen of the 1 console, the incomparable Mrs. Q Dawg. Together they sit down and rattle the paddles on Metroid Prime Pinball