Pew Pew Bang – Details, episodes & analysis

Introducing a new bi-weekly show called Pew Pew Bang! Kelsey Lewin, alongside Janet Garcia, Sarah Podzorski, and Haley Maclean are hosting a brand new podcast every other week. We think you’ll get the gist from the first 10 minutes or so, but here’s the basic pitch: evergreen video game content, but with slumber party vibes. The four of us have covered many corners of the game industry combined, but we’ve felt like there’s a lack of good quality content aimed at women, or at least that the almighty algorithm gods decide to serve to women.

We wanted to create something specifically for the girly crowd. So we’ve made a show that combines video game content with life advice (a la Dear Abby), some show and tell, and more.

Of course we welcome absolutely anyone to listen, but we hope you’ll share it with the fem-leaning folks in your life. So if you’ve ever wanted to listen to a lawyer, a journalist, a marketer, and a historian talk games but also have some deeply unserious discussions about Hot Wheels kissing, this is the podcast for you. We hope you enjoy!

It’s our inaugural episode! Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, Kelsey Lewin, and Sarah Podzorski talk gaming habits, show off our greatest video game shame, and dish out some life advice. It’s a slumber party for the ages!

Watch and share the video version here - https://youtu.be/r16F-hR-IcI

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:29 - What Pew Pew Bang is and who we are

00:05:14 - Icebreaker Questions

00:25:14 - Our emotional support games

00:48:41 - Challenge Mode: Sibling Rivalry

01:31:19 - Show & Tell

01:45:55 - Ping Pals

The gamers are going outside! Kind of! Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, Kelsey Lewin, and Sarah Podzorski talk gaming conventions (E3 (RIP), GDC, PAX, PRGE, and more!). This week, we're Challenged to breakdown our convention outfits, share what's in our bags, and wear every lanyard we own. We Show-and-Tell our favorite thing we've bought at a con. And Haley gives us a romance alignment quiz called Valid or Vile that gets progressively unhinged. Plus, we dish out life advice in our Ping Pals segment.

Watch and share the video version here: https://youtu.be/HeiP5-498GQ

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:01:20 - Favorite Conventions

00:47:11 - Challenge Mode: Con Outfits

01:13:35 - Challenge Mode: Con Bag Comparisons

01:45:50 - Wearing All Our Con Lanyards

02:09:40 - Ping Pals

02:24:59 - Valid or Vile

We’re talking Girl Games, in all its meanings! Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, Kelsey Lewin, and Sarah Podzorski talk girl games: looking into what girl games are historically, which we played growing up, and what makes a game “for girls” today. This week, we're Challenged to make random games girl games, we Show-and-Tell our girliest video game item, and we dish out life advice in our Ping Pals segment.

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:04 - What is a "Girl Game?"

01:20:52 - Challenge Mode: Girlify A Game

01:48:50 - Challenge Mode: Girliest Gaming Items

01:59:07 - Ping Pals

02:29:37 - PPB Quiz Analytics

Video game merch: we know it can be bad, but can it be good, too? Also, what is a Labubu? Is this even related? This week on Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski talk about some of the weirdest and most unhinged merchandise to come out of the gaming world, and pitch some new PPB Products. We also introduce a points system because who doesn't love a little competition?

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:29 - Why is so much merch so ugly?

01:24:00 - Show begins

01:38:40 - Show and Tell: PPB Merch Concepts

01:58:57 - Challenge Mode: Find The Worst Merch

02:36:48 - Ping Pals

Sometimes the most challenging thing you can do is admit your weaknesses. Well, the second-most challenging thing (after parrying). This week on Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski are talking all about the most difficult gaming challenges they have and haven't overcome, as well as attempting to conquer a tough one in real-time in a unique Challenge Mode!

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:03:23 - Favorite Difficult Games

01:16:39 - Challenge Mode: Learning To Parry

01:40:29 - Show and Tell: Proudest Gaming Achievement

02:15:13 - Ping Pals

On this week's Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski serve never-before-seen looks while talking their favorite cosmetics in games and competing to see who can identify iconic character makeup in another challenging Challenge Mode!

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:55 - Wig Reveals

00:09:40 - Main Segment: In-Game & Out-Game Cosmetics

01:43:20 - Quiz: Valid Or Vile 2

02:10:46 - Challenge Mode: Makeup Match

02:31:34 - Show & Tell: Our Favorite In-Game Cosmetics

02:49:35 - Ping Pals

This week on Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski gather for a massive celebration of a tiny console: the Game Boy Advance. They talk favorite games and memories with the system, as well as debate Shadow the Hedgehog’s age and whether it’s ethical to complain when a hair stylist ruins your life.

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:07:21 - Earliest GBA memories

01:46:13 - Shadow The Hedgehog Discussion

01:50:19 - Kelsey asks if it's Show & Tell: GBA Storage time (it is)

02:26:09 - Kelsey asks if it's Challenge Mode: GBA Trivia time (it is)

03:01:46 - Kelsey thinks it's Ping Pals time (it is)

On this week's Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski talk all about the games that build connections for a lifetime, sharing favorite co-op titles in Show & Tell and even playing an actual real video game with each other in Challenge Mode!

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:48 - How do you find friends who play video games?

01:46:34 - Challenge Mode: Actually Play A Video Game Together

02:35:01 - Show & Tell: Favorite Co-op Games

03:09:09 - Ping Pals

03:49:30 - Episode officially crosses threshold for longest PPB ever and then keeps going for forty more minutes (you're welcome)

On the penultimate episode of Pew Pew Bang season one, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, Janet Garcia, and Sarah Podzorski are finally talking about smart people games which is weird it took so long because they are so smart. They talk favorite smarty games like Lorelei and Papers Please, but also challenge the notion that anyone who cares so much about gamer cred can really be considered smart. In keeping with the theme of smartness, they also compare Brain Ages in Challenge Mode and reveal their past in Show & Tell!

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:09 - What is a smart people video game?

01:25:21 - Challenge Mode: Brain Age Measuring Contest

01:48:47 - Show & Tell: Our College Transcripts

02:32:11 - Ping Pals

Wishing you had the visual for whatever crazy game they're talking about? Check out the video version here!

For the season one finale of Pew Pew Bang, Kelsey Lewin, Haley Maclean, and Janet Garcia indulge Sarah Podzorski in her secret podcast goal: getting the gang to play girlie pop Dungeons & Dragons. They’re joined by DM Charles Harte who takes them on a magical princess adventure full of the same chaotic slumber party vibes you know and love. It’s something a little different, but with almost 6 hours of yap time we hope this will keep you entertained through the month-long season break!

Please help us make the best show possible by filling out our end-of-season listener survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9fPS1ocuyD8GCsxSLRhOoE-wXNl0CCaVeNt4pjaPRAtsWuw/viewform

To jump to a particular segment, check out the timestamps below...

00:00:00 - Intro

00:45:37 - Ben's surprise

00:54:06 - Main Segment: Dungeons & Dragons

04:26:15 - Episode officially crosses threshold for longest PPB ever and then keeps going for another hour (you're welcome)