Explore every episode of the podcast Vidjagame Apocalypse

It's time for a new episode of VGA! This week we are joined by Jarrett Green. This week's Top 5, we look at the games that were made by famous directors. And then later we discuss the WWE 2k26

Hey gang, it's a new episode of VGA. We are joined by Anthony Abette,  as we discuss the top 5 orginal black innovators in gaming. Afterwards, we talk about the whole mess dealing with  Xbox and more. 

It's a new episode, this week we are  joined by Jarett Green from Lifebar. This wee's Top 5, we talk about our favorite new black characters from the last 10 years. And then we talk about Sons of Sparta, Mario Tennis, and the  State of Play

It's a brand new episode of VGA, This week we are joined by Sonya Ballentyne! On this episode, we dicuss the Top 5 Remakes and in the second half, we talk Dragon Quest, The Nintendo Showcase, and have you heard about a Steam Deck? 

This week, we are joined by Emmitt Wakins Jr once again. We talk about the Top 5 reasons why black people love Sonic the Hedgehog. Then we talk about new releases, the horrid start of microtransatcions and more. 

Hey everyone, it's a new episode! This week, we are joined by Greg Moore as we talk about Anti RPGS, and then in t he secound half we talk about some new games and some PC Gaming. 

On this week's episode, we are joined by Adam from Pastblasters and Flipping Grates! We talk about our top 5 arcade games based off TV Shows. Later, we talk about Big Hops, Animal Crossing, and the price of Collection. 

This week we are joined by Anthony Abette, aka BruceWayneBrady. We decide to go off to talk about the best island in games, as we make our Top 5. Then we look at Animal Crossing's new DLC and we talk about the price of the Steam Box. 

It'2026, and we have a new pod.  Chris and TL are joined by Emmit Wakins Jr this wee, and the gang look at the Top 5 games that were great last year that you maybe didn't play. 

In the secound half, we talk about what we want to see in gaming in 2026!

Hey guys, the newest episode of the year is the last episode we recorded last year! Dylan joins Chris and TL as they talk about their favorite launches, and talk more about Metroid and Token Fighters. 

On this week's episode we are joined by Tony Wilson from Framework. We talk about the history of Metroid, and then later we talk a little bit about Metroid Prime 4

QOTW: What is a Metroid Memory that you have? 

This week we talk about the Top 5 games where you can say thanks in,and give you some black friday deals. 

Hey gang, we are looking at the last 20 years of the 360! We are joined by Alex Faciane and Emmmet Wakins Jr.

It's a brand new episode of Vidja Game Apocolypse. We are Joined by Emmit Wakins Jr, as we look at games that are based off TV Shows. 

We also talk about Chris's facination with Fortnite, The Steam Box and more

The holiday release blitz continues, and we are having a ball – literally! With games like Ball X Pit, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and Once Upon a Katamari all placing spherical shapes in prominent roles (or rolls, to be theme-appropriate), we wanted to take a look at the top games where you play as a ball. 

After that, we give Ball X Pit some much-deserved praise, see what Double Fine has been up to with Keeper, and tell you about our time so far in Lumiose City with our initial takes on Pokémon Legends: Z-A. 

Question of the Week: What is a gaming hardware brand, trend, or product that needs to be revived?

Break Song is "I'm Having a Ball" by Steve Lang

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The hits just keep on comin' with this week's big release, Pokémon Legends: Z-A. As noted several times on this show, Pokémon Legends: Arceus was many people's first official foray into the Pokémon universe (one of our hosts included), so this week we are taking a look at the best Pokémon spin-off games of all time, which may have gotten some of you listeners to try to catch 'em all. 

After that, we let you know if Battlefield 6 is a return to form for the big EA shooter franchise, come clean about our latest addiction, Ball X Pit, then see what people are saying about the new ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, and more!

Question of the Week: What was your first exposure to Pokémon?

Break Song is "The Pokémon Theme (Metal Cover Version)" by Skar Productions

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This week's big release is Ghost of Yotei, which brings back one of our favorite features from its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima: the adorable foxes that lead you to Inari Shrines. These furry friends are essentially collectibles, which got us thinking about other games that let you collect animals.

After that, we give our impressions of Ghost of Yotei and other big new releases, including The Super Mario Galaxy Collection, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, and Digimon Story: Time Stranger. Then we talk about that Nintendo teaser animation and other news of the week. 

Question of the Week: What is a spin-off game that got you into the main series?

Break Song is "Animal" by Pearl Jam

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Oh, the ancient gods. What fickle sorts they were known to be. But if you managed to curry favor with these gods, they could also be quite generous with their gifts. This week, in celebration of the release of Hades II 1.0, special guest DocBrooke joins us to take a look at games where the gods bestow their blessings and gifts upon your hero to help them along their journey. 

After that, we talk all about Hades II, the new Super Mario Galaxy Collection, some big shakeups at Nintendo and EA, and how expensive gaming is getting. 

Question of the Week: How has the increased cost of gaming affected the way you game?

Break Song is "Zeus in the Architecture" by Art vs Science

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's a big week for new game releases, and we have a whopper of a show to match. We start by taking a look back at game franchises where the first entry isn't necessarily a bad game on its own merits, but is probably the worst or least memorable of the bunch. 

After that, we race into the second segment to talk all about Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Baby Steps, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, and Silent Hill f. Then we cover the recent State of Play, news coming out of Tokyo Game Show 2025, Xbox price hikes, and more! 

Question of the Week: What's your favorite "black sheep" entry in a game franchise? 

Break Song is "Worst Comes to Worst" by Dilated Peoples ft. Guru

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Borderlands 4 is here! Or, as we like to call it around these parts, FOURderlands. Or maybe Borderl4nds? We're still workshopping it. Regardless of what you want to call the latest entry in the long-running series, there's no denying its importance in the shlooter genre, where it made a name for itself combining best-in-class shooting mechanics with cool characters and, of course, LOOT! This week, we take a look at other loot games that leave you in constant pursuit of that legendary piece of gear you've been chasing, and the dopamine hit that comes with it. 

After that, we give our impressions of Gearbox's latest, talk all about last week's Nintendo Direct, and more!

Question of the Week: What is the best piece of loot you've ever obtained in a game, and how did you get it?

Break Song is "Gimme the Loot" by The Notorious B.I.G.

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

After a long six years, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally here. Was it worth the wait? You'll have to listen to our New Releases segment to find out. But before that, we talk about some of our other most anticipated game releases that have kept us waiting for years. 

After that, we offer up our Silksong impressions and talk about other new releases, Street Fighter movie casting news, and more!

Question of the Week: Inspired by Everybody's Golf Hot Shots, what mash-up of two franchises would you like to see?  

Break Song is "The Waiting (Live)" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers featuring Eddie Vedder

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We are very much still in a ninja type of mood around these parts, with the recent release of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, the upcoming release of Ninja Gaiden 4, and the very ninja-like Hornet, star of this week's big new release, Hollow Knight: Silksong. So we decided to sneak up and surprise you with a top 5 all about our favorite ninja games. 

After that, we talk about the recent Switch 2 upgrade pack for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, more Super Robot Wars Y, news about a new Rayman game in the works at Ubisoft, PlayStation 6 rumors, and more!

Question of the Week: What's your favorite game that took forever to be released but was worth the wait? 

Break Song is "I Am Ninja" by The Neu Tickles

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's his birthday, so we're letting TL take over the wheel -- or the cockpit, as it were -- to walk us through a retrospective of sorts about the various genres of mech video games, inspired by this week's release of Super Robot Wars Y. From fighters to tactical RPGs and everything in between, if you like games about giant robots you pilot and punch things with, this top 5 is for you. 

After that, we cover the other new releases this week, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, then offer up a few more thoughts on things we've been playing like Sword of the Sea, Mafia: The Old Country, and Death Stranding 2. 

Question of the Week: Which famous mech from pop culture would win in an ultimate mech battle royale and why?

Break Song is "When the Mechs Hit the Ground" by NerdOut

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Summer movie blockbuster season may be winding down, but we still have movies on the brain around these parts. So much, in fact,  that we wanted to talk about movie tie-in games. And who better to help us with that than special guest Steve Guntli from the excellent CinemArcade podcast? We are all familiar with the games that are generally regarded as the best movie tie-in games. So Steve is here to offer up some of his favorite movie games that you may not have heard of, in what we're calling the top 5 next best movie games.  

After that, we talk about Sword of the Sea, the recent PlayStation 5 price increases, Kirby Air Riders, Pokémon, and all the big news from Gamescom. 

Question of the Week: What previously unadapted movie needs its own game? 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Let's face it, the games industry hasn't exactly been all sunshine and rainbows lately. As the late, great Dusty Rhodes would say, the industry has been facing hard tiiiiiimes, daddy. And yet, as a game player, there's a lot of really cool stuff to be excited about, including some recent trends and changes to the hobby that are just plain awesome. The VGA crew is here to help celebrate some of those recent changes in games.  

After that, we give our impressions of Mafia: The Old Country and Madden NFL 26, talk about news from the recent Nintendo Indie World Showcase, and more! 

Question of the Week: What was the first online experience you can remember having?

Break song is "Everything is Awesome (Tween Dream Remix)" by Garfunkel & Oates

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This week's release of the prequel game Mafia: The Old Country is as good an excuse as any for us to get nostalgic and take a trip back in time to discuss games that did exactly that, as the VGA crew and special guest Greg Moore pick the best prequel games of all time.  

After that, we talk about Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2, the new Shinobi: Art of Vengeance demo, the Fortnite Power Rangers crossover,  Nintendo price increase news, and more! 

Question of the Week: What guest character or franchise do you want to see in Fortnite next?

Break song is "Back in Time" by Huey Lewis & The News

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The recent release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps got us reminiscing about games where you get to team up with friends and create your own fantastic foursome. Whether it's huddling around an arcade cabinet, sharing a couch, or meeting up online, it doesn't take a brainiac like Reed Richards to know that some games are just more fantastic with friends, and the VGA Boyz are here to list our favorite four-player games. 

After that, we talk more Donkey Kong Bananza, sneak in a little Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, break down this week's news, and more! 

Question of the Week: What's your favorite four-player gaming experience?

Break song is "We Ain't Came to Lose" by Raekwon and Ghostface Killa

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The VGA crew is going bananas for Donkey Kong Bananza, and we wanted to celebrate the best Donkey Kong game in years with a top 5 retrospective taking you through the various eras of games starring Nintendo's big, lovable ape. 

After that, we dig deep and leave no fossil unturned as we talk all things Donkey Kong Bananza, cover this week's news, and more! 

Question of the Week: What's your favorite Donkey Kong memory or experience?

Break song is "Banana Man" by Tally Hall. 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The recent Donkey Kong redesign featured in Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza got us thinking about other video game character redesigns. When companies decide it's time for a character to get a new outfit, haircut, or entirely new look, you can always count on people having strong opinions, and we're no exception as we list our favorite game character redesigns of all time. 

After that, we talk about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, more EA Sports College Football 26, some Nintendo news, and Uno, for some reason. 

Question of the Week: What's your least favorite character redesign, games or otherwise? 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

James Gunn's Superman flick just hit theaters, so the VGA Boyz grabbed not one but TWO super guests who happen to be comic book experts for this week's show. SUPERHEROdotVG's Chris Baker and DC's own Randy Ma join us this week to hash out the best video games featuring the Man of Steel. 

Then it's on to way more sports talk than we're used to as TL breaks down the new EA Sports College Football 26, we discuss the state of the Forza franchise, and more!

Question of the Week: What comic book character needs better or more representation in video games?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This weekend America celebrates its Independence Day, so we're paying tribute to our beloved homeland with a show about one of the most American things we can think of: GUNS! Specifically light gun games. We're joined by arcade expert Pastblaster of the Podouken podcast to discuss those glorious games of yore where the only thing standing between polite society and murderous clowns, invading aliens, or generic 80s bad guys was you, a plastic firearm, and a fistful of quarters. 

Then we talk about the new Raidou remaster, break down Mecha Break, string you along with more Death Stranding talk, get changed by The Alters, parse out the week's news, and more.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite "gimmick" arcade game? 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

With Matt away, and left to their own devices, Chris and T.L. decided to do a bit of a looser episode. The Florida Boyz are joined by Tony Wilson from Framework, as they talk about games where the heroes are inspired by heroes from previous games in the franchise. 

After that, the guys talk a little about Death Stranding 2, the Capcom Showcase, and much more!

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We can't put our Nintendo Switch 2 systems down or get Mario Kart World out of our heads, so while doing laps around the tracks, the VGA boys started thinking about our top kart racing items from across the genre. Guest Jarrett Green joins us to list our favorites, from the most useful, to the wacky and weird, and everything in between. 

Then we jump through a portal to discuss Splitgate 2, the Gex Trilogy collection, Tron Catalyst, FBC Firebreak, this week's news, and so much more. 

Question of the Week: What's the most memorable game you've played on a new game system? 

Break song is "Go Kart Racing" by Garfunkel and Oates. 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

It's June, which used to mean E3 time, but now just means there are still a ton of huge announcements and places to see new games in Los Angeles, just not at the convention center or E3 itself. And that is why we are calling this our BIG NOT E3 2025 EPISODE! Oh, did we mention there was also the launch of a little thing called the Nintendo Switch 2? Special guest JR Ralls joins us to talk about our impressions of Nintendo's new system and its launch lineup, all the big announcements from State of Play, Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase, and more. 

Question of the Week: What's the weirdest way you've ever acquired a new game system?

Break song is "Switch" by Will Smith. 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The big Nintendo Switch 2 launch is already here, and guest Emmet Watkins Jr. and the VGA Boyz are celebrating the occasion by listing off the top Nintendo system launches of all time. Then we team up to discuss more Elden Ring Nightreign, some Symphonia, Xbox handheld news, and more. 

Question of the Week: What's your favorite game system launch of all time and why? 

Break song is "Playing with Power (TJ Perkins Entrance Theme)" by WWE Music. 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Look, it's a short holiday week, so can you blame the VGA Boyz for taking things easy and a bit too literally by celebrating Memorial Day week with a top 5 about... memories? Join us as we look back and... er, remember... our favorite memory sequences and flashbacks in videogames. Then it's on to some Elden Ring Nightrein talk, some Elden Ring movie talk, and more. 

Question of the Week: What's a piece of pop culture that had you hooked at first before quickly falling off?

Break song is "Memory (from the Musical Cats)" as performed by TRAGEDY. 

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Mikel's gone, but the show must go on -- with an all-new third chair and maybe just a tad more soundboard! TL Foster joins Matt and Chris on a more permanent basis, and this all-new VGA triumvirate reboots the show with a very appropriate Top 5: Modern Reboots. Then we duke it out over the Capcom Fighting Collection 2, rip and tear into more DOOM: The Dark Ages, wax nostalgic about Retro Classics on Game Pass, and break down the latest videogame news. 

Question of the Week: Tell us one of the game ideas Hideo Kojima has hidden away on his USB drive. 

Break song is "Boot to the Head" by The Frantics. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Mikel's farewell show kicks off with our most spoileriffic Top 5 EVER, focusing on games where the hero's death is an unavoidable part of the story - will you tough it out, or skip around with the spoiler-dodging timestamps we throw out before even speaking each entry's name? Once that's done, we'll get into more Doom: The Dark Ages, Revenge of the Savage Planet, Rift Riff, game-industry price-hike forecasts, and your favorite memories of Mikel's 12-year tenure on VGA.

Question of the Week: With the show under new direction going forward, what would you like to see from VGA in the future?

Break song is Price of Freedom -I Want to See You Smile- by The Death March and Brothers by Paul Williams. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Inspired by "100 men vs. a gorilla" memes, this week's show sees Tony Wilson of Framework joining us for a Top 5 about games that put the might of an entire swarm at your disposal! We'll also get into Doom: The Dark Ages, Skin Deep, the new GTA 6 trailer, Xbox raising console and game prices, and "antiquated" styles of games that you'd like to see make a comeback.

Question of the Week: Following this week's announcement, do you have a favorite memory of Mikel's 12 years as a host of VGA?

Break song is Ai no Uta by Strawberry Flower. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We've been to the "play as a villain" well a bunch of times, but this week's theatrical release of Thunderbolts inspired TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing to join us for a look at games that let you play as whole teams of characters who don't typically play well with others. We'll also get into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a smattering of Switch and Switch 2 news, Epic's court win against Apple, and your views on remakes and remasters.

Question of the Week: Is there an "antiquated" style of gameplay (e.g. turn-based RPGs) that you think should return?

Break song is E.G.G.M.A.N. by Paul Shortino. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The long-rumored Oblivion remaster was revealed and released on the same day this week, inspiring us to invite merritt k and Anthony Abatte for a chat about five other games that surprise-released on the same day they were revealed. Then we'll get into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (of course), Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Nintendo maybe not having inventory to fulfill My Nintendo Store preorder requests, and your experiences with companion apps.

Question of the Week: What are your thoughts on game remakes and remasters? Do you like playing them? Do you finish them? Is the past better left in the past?

Break song is Instant Pleasure as performed by Rufus Wainwright. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Jay and Silent Bob recently arrived in Call of Duty as premium operator skins, but it's hardly the first time actors associated with Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse films have starred in games. Dave Rudden joins us this week to talk about five of 'em, after which we'll talk more about Blue Prince, the Minecraft movie, Switch 2 letting Zelda players repair their weapons with a mobile app, and the most money you've ever spent on a console at launch.

Question of the Week: Do you have fond memories of any "companion-app" gaming experience? Should these still be a thing?

Break song is Clerks by Love Among Freaks. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

This is a big week for strange and cryptic games, and TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins to celebrate the release of South of Midnight with a look at five games that explore the supernatural and seamy sides of the American South. We'll also delve into Blue Prince and Promise Mascot Agency, complain about tariffs, speculate about Donkey Kong Bananza, and hear your thoughts about the Switch 2 reveal.

Question of the Week: What's the most you have ever spent for a console at launch (via bundles, secondary market, etc)?

Break song is You've Got to Walk by Ben Babbitt and the Bedquilt Ramblers. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

In this era of multiplatform releases and more-or-less standardized hardware, it can be easy to forget that great games didn't always stay great once they'd made their way to different consoles and computers. In fact, ports that were rushed, incomplete, or just plain lousy used to be common, and this week, we'll look at five of the most infamously bad ones. Then we'll talk about Atomfall, InZoi, and - of course! - the Switch 2 reveal, plus your views on dressing characters for aesthetics vs. stats.

Question of the Week: What are your thoughts on Switch 2? Did it live up to your expectations? Are you excited? Disappointed? Let us know. 

Break song is Rocket Man as performed by William Shatner. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Plenty of games let you change your character's clothes, but in how many does it really matter, from a gameplay standpoint? At least five, which we'll talk about this week with model/stylist/game brand strategist and former journo Aiden Strawhun, who also knows how to talk about Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land way better than the rest of us. We'll also get into The First Berserker: Khazan, new announcements for Monster Hunter Wilds, the return of Game Informer, and the game names you've habitually mispronounced.

Question of the Week: Do you dress your game characters purely for power and stats, or more for aesthetics? 

Break song is Cover Girl by RuPaul. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is out, and we've got IGN's reviewer - friend of the show Jarrett Green - on to talk about Ubi's massive open-world shinobi-and-samurai adventure in feudal Japan! But first, we'll use this as an opportunity to talk about five other games made by western developers, but set in Japan. Once all that's done, we'll talk about the internet's reaction to Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, the SNES mysteriously getting faster with age, and your long-standing gaming regrets.

Question of the Week: Inspired by the Suikoden remaster, what's a game name you've habitually mispronounced, either by mistake or (for comedy's sake) on purpose? Were you ever embarrassingly corrected? Tell us about it.

Break song is We're the River City Girls by Megan McDuffee. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We just passed Mar10 Day this week, and that got us thinking about all the times console makers have thought, "Hey! What if WE had a cute, highly marketable face to sell OUR hardware?" We'll take a look at five of the least successful attempts at machine-exclusive mascots this week, after which we'll get into WWE 2k25 and Wanderstop, share updated thoughts on Monster Hunter Wilds and Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, and hear which games you think should have a Nemesis System of their own.

Question of the Week: Do you have a persistent regret about a game (i.e., did you finish a game the "wrong" way, miss a piece of a story, make a bad decision, etc., that you've never gotten around to correcting)?

Break song is the credits music from Gex. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Ever wonder why so few games include features like, say, Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system, or minigames you can play during loading events? It's because they are or were locked behind patents - and this week, Jesse "Street Cleaner" Bishop joins us to talk about five such features - as well as the launch of Street Cleaner 3. Then we'll get into Monster Hunter Wilds, Two Point Museum, Everhood 2, the reveal of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, and your personal feelings about game demos.

Question of the Week: If it weren't patent-protected, what game or series do you think could benefit from something like the Nemesis system?

Break song is It Ain't Safe by Street Cleaner & NormallyRetro. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Landing a celebrity to star in your game is usually a huge deal - but like a lot of things, celebrities can go bad over time, turning their games into weird cultural artifacts with unpleasant associations. This week, Anthony Abatte joins us to talk about five games with stars who probablly seemed like a great idea at the time, after which we'll get into Street Cleaner 3, Steam Next Fest, Monolith's closure, and the games you'd like to see do a pirate-themed sequel.

Question of the Week: With Steam Next Fest launching a ton of demos onto the service, do you typically play demos to sample games, or do you just jump right in and buy ones you're interested in? (And did you have a favorite from Next Fest?)

Break song is Although the Sky by Dorkus64. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

With Avowed's launch casting a spotlight on Obsidian this week, we got to thinking about the studio's unique trajectory, and so Trone Dowd — who reviewed Avowed for Inverse — joins us to talk about about studios who got nudged off series they created (for whatever reason), and used their ideas to make something new (but familiar). We'll also get into Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii, the Street Fighter movie's new director, Nintendo discontinuing the Gold Points program, and the obscure games you'd like to see return via a streaming service.

Question of the Week: Zelda did it. Assassin's Creed did it. Yakuza did it. What game series should take to the high seas for a pirate adventure next?

Break song is Fly Me To The Moon (∞ Climax Mix) by Bart Howard and Helena Noguerra. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.